Rational Synchronicity
by Five-Blues
Summary: Revenge can only be found on the road to self destruction. She is willing to make that sacrifice. Until an obstacle places himself straight in the middle of the road. GodricxOC
1. Act Naturally

Song: Oh Be Clever - River

* * *

In one night, everything had been taken from her. Blood was power. Blood was influencing. It was responsible for giving life. it was responsible for ending it. The copper liquid flowed through every organism, tying all of them together. Transferring blood could save someone. Or it could steal their life, slowly but surely. Before, their blood could make them feel ancient and powerful, a mystical force flowing through their veins, giving them the miraculous gift of life. Now they know knew they were prey, giving life to those who are stronger, more terrifying, more volatile, more cruel than anything they could ever imagine. Now their blood was their greatest weakness. Winn wished for the simple nondescript figures that went bump in the night. Reality was the nightmare that she couldn't wake up from.

Splashing water onto her face, she gripped the edges of the off-white chipped sink. Her head rose slowly and stilled when she saw her reflection in the mirror. There was the white jagged scar on her cheek, a reminder of the past she had lost and the future ahead of her. The splash of freckles that gave the appearance of being callously thrown stood starkly against a pale face. She lowered her long dark lashes as she grabbed her concealer, dabbing it over the permanently dark circles beneath her eyes.

Closing her eyes she breathed deeply, gathering her tumultuous emotions before shoving them down. Quickly she moved around the small studio grabbing black pants that had been haphazardly thrown over an old chair. As she began out the door she took out the small card from her leather jackets pocket and scrunched her nose when she read the name again: _Fangtasia._ What kind of circus name was that?

It took a few seconds to start the car she had bought off a desperate seller. It was a banged up piece of rust, easily mistaken for being an abandoned vehicle. American cities were not something she believed she would ever get used too. They were large concrete jungles, though the further away she got from the city center, the farther spread out everything became. As she drove, the city lights became sparser the closer she got to the outskirts of Shreveport. She was nearing the club and out here was nothing but the occasional seemingly abandoned building and the weeds fighting through the cracks in the neglected cement pavement. Broken glass glittered beneath the neon orange streetlights. Out here it seemed, were mostly just warehouses.

The car slowed to a roll as she pulled into the small parking lot with dread. In front of her in large scrawling cursive letters, blinking in neon: Fangtasia. There was a red carpet as if the club was for the elite, instead of the uneducated rednecks desperate for a bite. How could they even want that?

Why there was any popularity surrounding vampire clubs was beyond her. Didn't they understand leeches were dangerous? Or were they all just looking for a new way to commit suicide? Winn suppressed her frown, suppressed her urge to yell at them they were all lambs going to certain slaughter. If not now, then later. But socialising with vampires, that was an inevitable fate. Humans were food and nothing more - could be, nothing more.

The line was long, snaking nearly to her car. The excitement and nerves were palpable in the air as the humans shifted on their feet, filling the desolated area with eager murmurs.

After a ten minute wait she made it to the door where a thin, stoic vampire female stood as bouncer. She had heard some of the men behind her laughing over the diminutive woman being a bouncer. But Winn knew better - everyone in this line could be dead if she wanted them to be without batting an eye. She swallowed at the intrusive thought.

"Welcome to Fangtasia," the female drawled with absolute apathy as her eyes flickered over Winn, "and why should I let you in?"

"I want to have fun with a vampire?" Winn questioned, fiddling with her sleeves. The look the vampire gave her made her skin crawl. Technically it wasn't a lie, just that her idea of fun involved revenge.

The answer seemed to be satisfactory and with a sign she unclipped the red rope and let Winn in. To walk into a bar full of vampires was placing herself in a parlous situation, but one necessary to take. For a moment she stood staring at the door, staring at the gates of hell. Instinct made her freeze, fighting for survival. If she went in there she was in an enclosed space with ravenous vampires. But determination pushed her on and she stepped over the threshold, holding her breath in nervous anticipation.

Warm red bathed her as she stepped indoors. Instinctively her hair stood on end as she took in the vampires scattered across the room. Some of theirs eyes flickered over her like she was fresh meat ready for them to sink their fangs in, before gliding away with feigned disinterest.

The place was gaudy. Dark reds and blacks on the carpet and walls; neon lights; victorian era chandeliers replaced with fake glowing red lights; strippers; and various vampire puns on signs, hammered into the walls. She frowned as her olive coloured eyes flickered across the room. It was like looking at a crazed fans idea of what a vampires bar would look like. She snorted as she watched the strippers grinding on the pole - whoever had made the place had to doing this for the hell out of. To pack so many cringeworthy items into one confined area had to have been an intelligent, conscious choice. There was a joke behind it, just one she wasn't privy to understand.

All of the recipients of the club were dressed in leather and metal, tattoos etched into their skin. It was sheer luck that her outfit helped her blend in relatively well. While she didn't look like she was heading towards a BDSM convention, her dark attire drew no special attention. Winn made her way to the bar, hoisting herself up onto a stool furthest away from any of the commotion. "What can I get you, doll?" The bartender asked and she blinked in surprise, before fighting the urge to recoil. His fangs were out, brushing against his lower lip. Her heart began hammering and she wiped clamming palms on her jeans.

"Just water." She managed to get out.

He raised his brow but didn't comment on it. As the vampire turned his back to her she reluctantly tore his gaze away from him. Her eyes peered into the dim-lit room, scanning each and every face she saw. Each face that didn't match the Vampires made her feel a mixture between disappointment and utter relief.

Finally her eyes came to the back of Fangtasia. The ground was elevated, with red satin covering the wall. Most peculiar was a wide chair with a tall vampire sprawled on it, hands curled around the armrests as if it were a throne he sat on. His long blonde hair fellows forwards, curtaining him from the world. It was only now Winn realised he had been there all along and hadn't moved a fraction. Only his eyes seemed to flicker occasionally, taking in his court of desperate fools in front of him.

She stared at him. Through the strands of hair she could see his pale face. There was something about him that gave her a vague sense of familiarity. After a few moments she realised he reminded her of her father, though it was only the curve of his red lips. A pang of pain gripped her heart and her body tensed. Her eyes stung with unshed tears and she blinked rapidly, willing them to disappear so she could focus on what she could still change.

Seeming to catch her thoughts his eyes flashed to her. They were crystal blue and cool as glaciers. Quickly her gaze flickered elsewhere; the way the vampire looking at her was chilling and she didn't want to be a focus of his attention.

She blinked as one of the strippers blurred for a brief second. The female was a vampire, then. It was unnerving. They weren't natural. It made her skin crawl. She tightened her hands into fists. As Winn tightened her jaw, she didn't see the blonde vampire on his mock-throne look at her narrow his eyes in suspicion at her behaviour.

Out of pure desperation Winn remained at the bar for another hour, sipping on her water occasionally and watching the faces in the crowd. But new faces were hard to come by tonight, and none of them matched the description of The Vampire. Biting her lower lip briefly in frustration she concluded with a defeated sigh that the vampire she was looking for had disappeared into the shadows of Shreveport. If she was unlucky, it was long gone by now, off to destroy more lives. If luck was on her side, and if a god - any god - existed out there, then they would meet again. And she would end The Vampire.

Slipping off her chair she placed the empty cup on the bar, with a five dollar bill. While not knowing how much water cost, she assumed at a joint like this tap-water was cheap and that money should more than cover the bill. Careful not to touch anyone she began towards the exit.

Just as her fingers reached out to touch the gateway that would lead to much needed cool air and freedom away from vampires, she found her way blocked by a looking figure. The vampire had materialised next to her and his cold hand shot out, wrapping around her bicep and tugging her closer to him. He towered over her, and his mere height and broad shoulders seemed to encompass her.

"Let go of my, _you swine."_ she snarled. The insult came out in Norwegian, her native tongue. She felt like a feral animal now, desperately fighting to get out of the corner the vampire had backed her up into. She grew short of breath as the vampire tightened his grip on her, bruisingly hard. Winn swallowed her yelp of pain. The bar had gone silent as both human and vampire alike stared at the unfolding scene with curiosity or bloodlust. Only the cheerful rock music carried through the space.

He raised an eyebrow, before replying, surprisingly, in Swedish, "And what is a little Nordic girl like you doing so far from home?"

"No reason." She knew for the rest of this short-lived conversation she would be speaking Norwegian.

Unblinkingly he stared at her and she swallowed in fear. "Hm." Was the only acknowledgement he gave before dragging her further back into Fangtasia, the exit growing smaller.

She let out a desperate breath and then her hand desperately tried to pry at his icy fingers, loosening his grip. Instead he tightened his hold; this time she cried out in pain. Her feet found no solid footing and she was but at his mercy as he half-dragged her into a backroom. She found herself in an office. The door shut behind them with a slam.

He knocked her back into the chair so hard it nearly tipped over and she struggled to place all four legs back on the ground. The vampire leaned against the desk and crossed his arms, expression one of deep displeasure. He towered over her. "Now why don't you tell me a little more about that suspicious behaviour of yours in my club? Make it fast, I don't have all night."

Her voice came out far weaker than she had wished as she tilted her head back to meet his piercing gaze, "I didn't realise water was that suspicious."

His small smirk in response was coloured with menace and she shrank back. The blond vampire placed his hands on either side of the desk. "So evasive. Luckily I have spare time on my hands, though I can make this go a lot quicker. Wouldn't it be a shame for you if you had to wait in line for my attention?"

She swallowed. "I wasn't doing anything."

He leaned forwards and she became light-headed. The outside world and all its horrors slipped away, and it was only a striking blue eyes that held her in place like a life ring thrown out to sea. His voice was like soft as velvet and each word wrapped around her brain, "Tell me why you are here, so far from home."

The words bubbled up like a stream between loose lips, "I am looking for the vampire who murdered my parents. Shreveport was the last place I saw it before I lost track." Four years ago they had had their lives snuffed as if they had meant nothing at all. Two years ago vampires had made their presence known to the world. Being alone in the world and hunting down a vampire who had ripped everything away from her was not how she had imagined twenty-four to be.

He leaned back, face regarding her with an intense, unreadable expression; his lips were drawn in a hard line. She blinked harshly and pushed back into the chair. That information she had shared with no one. A cold shiver ran up her spine. Whatever had happened wasn't natural.

"Go." His voice was cold as winter.

Her eyes narrowed in paranoia, but his face remained in absolute conviction. She had no means to evaluate whether he was going to drain her dry the second she turned her back on him. But if he meant it, then she would not test the beasts words. Quickly she left the office, flinging the door open and making her way out of the club in haste. She couldn't think of why she had told him that sensitive information, only that she had. And she needed to create distance between them, fast. Whatever had happened, she would sort out later.

A few moments prior the club had stilled as they had watched the exchange between Winn and the vampire. Now it was as if she had never existed. The dancers continued luring in the lost souls fascinated by the creatures of the night, and men continued to dream endlessly of a dancer they would never get. Several people swayed on their feet, eyes glazed with alcohol and mind clouded with poor judgement. The lights flickered various colours across the club, immersing the club-goers in red and blues hues. Nearly unconsciously her eyes scanned the club as she left. Still, The Vampire was not there. The whole time the blonde vampires eyes were trained on her back, keenly following her every moment. He was leaning against the frame to his office door, arms crossed.

"Pam?" He murmured.

In a flash the female bouncer was at his side. She watched the petite girl exit the club in a panicked hurry, "What is it, Eric?"

When the girl was outside, the Nordic vampire turned to look at his progeny, "Find the girls family history."

Pam raised an eyebrow, "You think she's some type of supernatural we don't know about?"

His head shifted slowly to the side as the door began swinging shut. "No. I believe she may be from a chapter in my past I believe was long closed."

* * *

 **A/N: Do read since I promise it will be the only one I make!**

 **1\. I GUARANTEE this story will be uploaded every tuesday. Why can I say this with 100% confidence? Because I've finished writing this story. I'll just be using the time before every tuesday to edit through grammar/spelling mistakes . . . and hopefully catch them all ;)**

 **(so don't look at my other unfinished stories as indication about my commitment or consistency to uploading new chapters, it's embarrassing, I'll tell you). Also I would like to imagine I have improved as a writer since my last updated chapter on whichever story that may have been.**

 **2\. I promise to respond to reviewers because it'll make me extremely happy that you've taken the time to give me a comment, any comment!**

 **3\. I got inspired to write this after watching True Blood for the first time (am I late to the party?). I have tried my utmost best to keep all characters as they were on the show. My Godric has been composed of several various characters opinions on him (such as Erics biased progeny-maker opinions, Lorenas, etc. on his behaviour) and throughout the several time-spans we saw him in. So hopefully I have kept true to his character. I think everyone has a right to have a little leeway with him as the time we've seen him has been so short, though.**

 **4\. Godric comes in soon, of course. But I will give fair warning that Chapter 3 borrows heavily from the dialogue in the show, and for that, I'm sorry. I wasn't original in any way, shape, or form there. HOWEVER, after this I will diverge completely from the shows original premise and build this story as completely my own.**

 **5\. Going from the point above, all supernatural creatures with the exception of vampires (and some witches) are either non-existent or irrelevant.**

 **6\. BLOODRULES. I'm fixing this shows inconsistency here and creating my own laws. One: the older the blood the more likely there will be negatively adverse affects/effects and withdrawal systems. If drunken straight from the source, there won't be any hallucinations, but there will still be a euphoria/high experienced. Two: the more powerful and older a vamp is, the longer and stronger a bloodbond will form, and the more a human will react strongly too it. Three: if injuries aren't immediately treated and begin healing on their own for a human, then any amount of blood won't heal it - it has to be immediate blood feeding, or the injury will ignore vamp blood. Four: claiming will happen with a vampire giving blood to the human, it'll last for a v long time, especially if vamp is once agian, older/powerful. bloodblond happens with a mutual blood exchangs. That is all.**

 **7\. Vampires aren't going to be forthcoming about their abilities and weaknesses. Something like glamouring, therefore would be no more than a rumour. None of this getting contacts at walgreens shit.**


	2. Don't Come Home A'Drinkin

Over the years she had accumulated some knowledge on vampires. She knew they couldn't come out at daylight, as everyone knew. She knew they had masters and children, though she didn't know how that happened, or what the process was. In fact, she didn't even know what it _meant._ Personal expierence taught her that they were apex predators. A severe lack of resources taught her they kept to the shadows, intellectually speaking.

For a moment her mind drew her to that fateful night. She could still hear the pinging of thousands of shards of glass flying towards her as a body lunged out of the window of her home. She could still feel the cold hands wrap around her neck before she was dragged through the window. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes. She couldn't think of that now. Only the future. Always the future.

Dropping her bags onto the floor she came back from the Shreveport City Library feeling exhausted and hopeless. She hadn't found anything she hadn't already read on supernatural creatures, and most of the books she had found on old historical events correlated on that which she already knew. With every passing day the murderer she looked for and was hoping to kill, was out there with more power and knowledge than she had.

Trying to accumulate a deeper understanding of vampires and how to kill them felt like running through quicksand; the more she struggled to obtain the knowledge, the deeper down into the abyss she sunk. She was an outsider looking in to a world she didn't understand. And there was no one to help her. Vampires, as she had come to find out through a way she never did want to find out, were ruthless savages. And they terrified her. She hated them. All of them.

Going over to the fridge she squatted down and took a long hard look at whatever was let in the fridge. She was running low on money and surviving was beginning to prove difficult.

Dragging a carton of old Chinese food, she unceremoniously dumped the remaining contents into the pan. Twisting her dull brown hair in a bun she took a long look at herself in the oddly placed mirror above the kitchen sink. She didn't know what she was hoping for, when she looked at her reflection. Perhaps her parents standing behind her. Perhaps the signs that this was all a nightmare. But try as she might to stare into that mirror, all she saw were herself, shoulders pulled down in defeat.

Rubbing tiredly at her eyes she tried to get the lingering dream out of her head. The meeting with the blonde vampire had been one that struck a chord of fear within her. He may have looked like family, but the way he treated her cemented in her mind that he was still a vampire. A ruthless, violent vampire. She was glad he wasn't actually related to her, even if he carried impressionable characteristics.

As she turned off the stove the doorbell rang and her brows knitted in confusion. Winn didn't know anyone in Shreveport. Sighing she wiped her hands on her pants before going to the door. As she swung it open her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened. It was the blonde vampire from Fangtasia. Winn froze up.

He was staring at her intently. The silence was deafening. His eyes flickered over her face, seemingly drinking in her features. Once again she was acutely aware of their height difference. He towered over her, and with his broad shoulders he filled the doorway like a barrier.

"What do you want?" She breathed.

"Winifred Vik." He was testing her name, placing extra emphasis on the first letter of her first and last name.

She stared at him. The agitation that had filled him the club was gone. Now he was looking at her with an expression she couldn't place, but it wasn't one she liked. It was too interested.

"Can I come in?"

She shook her head.

"I think you'll the conversation we'll be having would best take place inside."

Her hand tightened on the side of the door. "Like you told you earlier, I was just drinking water and that's it. Nothing to do with you or your club."

His slim fingers adorned with runic rings drummed lightly against the doorframe before settling. "And yet, it has everything to do with me."

At his admission her mouth went dry and her heart began pounding in her chest. She understood. He was working with The Vampire.

He raised a brow, "I'm not here to kill you, breather. If I was interested in that it would have happened before you could even draw your first scream. Now why don't you let me in? I won't ask again."

"What is it you want?"

"So aggressive. Thats no way to treat your family, is it?" As he spoke the words he sounded almost angry.

Winn stared at him, blinking rapidly. "What?"

The vampire pretended to move a non-existing piece of lint from his suit in disinterest. "Hm, yes, after weeks of research as it turns out . . . you share common ancestry with me. You are from my little sisters lineage."

She gave a mirthless laugh as she looked at him, unimpressed. What kind of game was the leech playing? Like she'd let him in just because they were _apparently_ related. She was smarter than that. "Funny. I don't remember any family of mine dying and turn into a creature of the night." She moved to close the door.

"Elsa was your grandmother. Three generations before her there was Sigurd, and five before him was-"

"So you found my family tree somewhere. Incredibly creepy, extremely suspicious, and not at all heart-warming." Despite her strong voice she found herself becoming fearful. How did he find all of this out? How had he even figured out her name when she had given none? Was he actually connected with The Vampire? Was this another game?

"My, aren't you paranoid." He drawled.

"I don't trust-"

"What, you don't trust vampires?" he interrupted, "Maybe you should trust family."

"Maybe family shouldn't trust me." She replied bitterly.

"Look at me." He commanded, voice soft. She did, and noted his eyes were as blue as the icelandic sea. It was mesmerising. "I am not a threat to you right now."

She looked at him suspiciously, but felt her shoulders lower a fraction. So far in the past few weeks he had done nothing to harm her or threaten her . . . much.

"Won't you invite me in so we can talk a little more comfortably?"

She bit her lip uncertainty before giving a heavy sigh of defeat, "Fine. Come in. But don't try anything sudden."

He gave a small smirk, "Thank you for your invitation, Winifred."

She pursed her lips, stopping herself from correcting him.

"Winifred a problem? Winny? Fred? Some other droll human abbreviation to spare you the embarrassment on something no one cares about?"

"Just Winn."

"Duly noted, Winifred." While he sat down on the couch she opted for the coffee table. The studio wasn't big, after all. His presence made the studio feel small, more confined; his self-assured demeaned seem to spread out. "Well, you're here." She states. Winn didn't have any intentions of carrying on this conversation. Whatever else he was to her, he was a vampire first and foremost. He was a monster.

"I'm Eric." He added like an afterthought.

Winn stared at him with distrustful eyes.

"Well to answer your first question, the reason you probably wouldn't recall any significant changes in your lineage is because I am over a thousand years old." He answered, as if she had even asked.

Her eyes flickered between his, trying to see if it was a lie - at least a joke. Instead she leaned back, "Jesus." She breathed.

"Not that old."

She gave exasperated sigh. "What do you want, Vampire?"

Eric reached into his pocket and pulled something out, placing it on the coffee table. It was some small wooden trinket. Hesitantly picking it up, Winn turned it around slowly. A viking ruin was carved into it, but what it meant was beyond her understanding. "Do you recognise this symbol?" He asked.

Winn looked at it for a second longer and shrugged. It did look familiar. But he was a vampire, who had somehow worked his way into her apartment and was failingly trying to convince her of their relations.

"Winifred?" He asked and she looked up. His face was neutral as he spoke and his gaze piercing, "You trust me enough to tell me."

After a second of deliberation she spoke, "Yeah, I've seen it a few times, sometimes carved into the back of photo frames in our home or other objects, here and there. I don't know what it means. No one does anymore, we just know it belongs to our family."

"Have you ever heard a story of the king and the wolves?"

Recognition flickered in the back of her mind. Where was he going with this? She played along. The information was harmless, and the quicker they got to the point, the quicker he was gone. "Yeah something about a demon who controlled wolves. He killed our family back in the viking age and left. But it's just a myth."

"It is absolute truth. Someone supernatural wanted the kings crown, when he denied it to the stranger, he killed them both - the king and queen - with his werewolves. The kings son remained alive because he was . . . failing his duties elsewhere. The little sister had been taken for an evening walk."

"But you can't know that story. That's only been passed on through the generations - and only to us." She whispered.

He raised his eyebrows, face earnest for the first time. "Unless I'm telling the truth."

There as a long pause as she looked out the window at the moon, contemplating his words. "Alright. Say you - say you are part of my family. You're still a vampire, so you're not here because of your heart. So why are you here?"

"I'm not sure." He admitted, "There was something about you that reminded me of her."

Eric didn't elaborate on who _her_ was. Or who he was. He knew the myth of their family. And he was ancient, that much she did believe. It wasn't much to go on.

"Clearly I'm not her. So if we're finished." She stood up, hoping he would take the not subtle hint and leave her life permanently.

Instead he reclined back into the seat with a smug look. His voice was an obnoxious drawl, "Now I'm not familiar with human customs, but isn't kicking someone out considered rude?"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and made her way over to the kitchen counter, hoping her movement seemed casual. Then, grabbing a knife she whirled around and looked at him, "Well I don't know what more you want." Except she did and she wasn't going to let him take it from her. She'd go down fighting before he took even a drop of her blood.

His smile dropped and he abruptly stood up. Grasping the knife so tightly her knuckles whitened she stared at the vampire unblinkingly. Her eyes were sharp as a hawk as she followed his every movement. "Careful, breather. I don't like being threatened. Even if it is by someone as . . . precious, are you."

"Neither do I."

A lazy smile grew on his face, and at that moment he reminded her of a lion about to pounce on the timid little mouse in front of him. "Then it seems we have a problem."

"Get out before I call the police."

"You wouldn't even hit the nine before I snapped your arm in half."

Her heart was hammering against her chest, palms slick with clammy sweat. Her grasp loosened a fraction on the dirty knife.

Eric took a step towards her, seemingly unperturbed at her weapon. "I'm going to be sorting this situation out sooner rather than later, so if you could just stand still like a good human."

Her stared unflinchingly at him as he came closer. Winn raised the knife. And then her shoulders relaxed and her lids lowered as she became mesmerised by the vampire in front of her. Her mind seemed to ebb and flow like the ocean lapping at the sand. Nothing else quite mattered any longer.

"Now," he muttered, "tell me about the vampire who was responsible for the death of your parents."

Her eyelids fluttered and her lips trembled as if trying desperately to fight a contradiction. He wanted to know more, and she should - had to - give it to him. But it felt as if she were hitting a brick wall, chocked full of denial and terror. As much as she tried, she couldn't. Her head began throbbing in pain.

With a harsh blink she drew away from him; he was looking elsewhere for a brief moment before his eyes flickered back down to look at her. "Hm, it seems the vampire you came across was smart. Killing two but not the third . . . It's the why I want to know about." There was a haunting darkness in his eyes that disappeared as quickly as it came. He resumed his supposed nonchalance.

Winn shook her head, lowering the knife. "I don't care for its reasons."

Eric readjusted the lapels of the suit. His head turned to look at the door. "I have work to attend to, Winifred Vik, but we will be seeing each other again. Have a good night." With a blink he was gone; she heard the door shut gently behind him.

After locking the door Winn slid down it and stead straight ahead at nothing in particular. Thoughts whirled like a volatile cyclone. She had a vampire, one who was in her family. Not just that, but she had let him into her studio. The action was incomprehensible, just like telling him about her parents murders had been. But he had to be family, he couldn't be lying. He had told her stories - things no one else knew. Those stories were ones passed down from word of mouth only. It could mean that he was family, or perhaps he had found someone in her lineage willing to tell him about the story. She knew she was reaching then and there with the comment. There was only a few distant cousins of hers left, and she was fairly certain not even they knew, or cared to remember, the myths.

With a sigh she heaved herself off of the floor. There was lukewarm Chinese to be eaten and more research to be done.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

A week later she found something of interest. Knowing a vampire was in her family had made her refocus on Norse mythology and as close as she could come to autobiographical tales. When she found one with a story about a brutal demon in nine-hundred A.D. off the British coastline where the Vikings had travelled, she realised she could ask the vampire for help. Well, try too. It was highly unlikely Eric would help her at all, and he may just try to drain her for annoying him. But she was beginning to come to wits end as she reached another dead end.

Winn found herself back at Fangtasia that night. Eric was in his usual place. As she began towards him he gave her such a cold glare that she felt her veins freeze. "Later." He commanded. His expression was cold and devoid of all emotion.

Winn took heed of his words and immediately backed off. It was only one A.M. and the bar didn't close up five. Great. With an annoyed sigh she took her seat at the bar, farthest from anyone else. The bartender gave her a nod of appraisal before coming over to her. Once again she ordered water. The bartender looked over to Eric and then seemed to raise his brows in understanding. When he gave her the cup, she saw there was ice cubes in it.

She watched as he first served a customer a bottle of True Blood. The vampire took a deep swig before looking at her with what could only have been an attempted seductive look before he wiped the back of his mouth. Body tensing, Winn looked sharply looked away.

The night drew out endlessly. The bar began filling up. As she slid off the stool to go to the bathroom, just for movements sake, she bumped into someone. Winn excused herself and saw she had bumped into a woman who was severely out of place at a bar like this. The girl didn't seem insulted by Winns accidental movement nor deterred when she tried to move out of the blondes way.

The woman reached out her hand, "Hi! I'm Sookie." Her voice was cheerful. She was exactly what Winn imagined a typical Southern Belle would be like. And ridiculously gorgeous. Winn was hoping she could edge away from the woman so they wouldn't be so easily be compared side by side. Then she remembered she was surrounded by vampires who were more focused on blood than beauty anyway. For the first time it was a reassurance. Barely. Besides her stood a male, so pale he could be nothing else but a vampire. His eyes flickered around the room warily. What did he have to be unsure about?

"I'm Winn." She replied, voice tinged with surprise.

"This place is so interesting, right?" She whispered excitedly.

"Not exactly the adjective I would have used." Winn muttered, eyes gliding across the room. It felt as if the majority of the eyes were on them, and she knew it was Sookies fault. The blonde girl stuck out like a sore thumb, like a precious bunny surrounded by ravenous wolves. Winn rubbed at her neck.

"Hey, where are you from? I don't recognise your accent."

"Norway." Winn muttered, her eyes glancing around the club. She was keenly aware at the focus Sookie was pulling not just on herself, but now Winn as well.

The blonde seemed to be thinking hard over Winn's location.

"Scandinavia - up North." Winn helped.

"Oh, yeah, right of course! Wow, you're a long way from home." Sookie beamed at her, eyes lit up with enthusiasm over meeting a foreigner, "What brought you to Shreveport? I mean, it must be pretty boring compared to, you know, Norway and all."

"Unfinished business." Winn answered. Her mind drifted - tried to drift - to The Vampire. Yet, all of a sudden she couldn't recall what it looked like. It was a blurred indescribable figure, and it was like trying to grasp mist. The memory slipped right through her fingers.

Sookie gave her an odd look and the a nod. "Well I hope you finish it then." She said with a smile. "Want to grab a drink? I'm so thirsty, real warm night out."

"It's always warm here." She muttered.

"Must be so different, coming from that cold weather. You guys have snow, right?"

"We have snow." Winn answered, attempting to sound amicable and miserably failing. At one point she would have been a natural converser, now she saw little point in small talk or feigning kindness with someone she wouldn't see again. And Sookie seemed like the bubbly, naive girl who could continue talking about all sorts of random things. Things Winn didn't care about.

They trailed off awkwardly. Winn made her way towards the bathroom before the dark-haired moved in front of her and she flinched. "You know him?" He asked, his looking behind her. Turning her head she saw Eric was straight at her.

"Uh . . ."

"He's summoning you." The male announced.

Winn sighed. Finally. Eric gestured with his head towards the office. Reluctantly Winn began moving towards the confined space. As Winn entered the office she was flanked by both Eric and his blonde companion. There was so many blondes she had met recently she was beginning to wonder if she was back in Norway. The door closed gently behind them.

The female raised a delicate brow as she looked at the girl from head to toe, before frowning in disapproval and looking at Eric. "Your lineage has had appalling mating choices."

"I am aware of the subaltern fall of my genealogy." Then Eric turned to Winn, "Winifred, this is Pamela Swynford de Beaufort."

"Nice to meet you?" Winn questioned.

Pam put a hand on her hip and raised a delicate brow. It was good they both seemed to have utter disinterest in the other.

Crossing his arms and leaning against the desk Eric spoking in his usual obnoxious, drawling tone. "And have you accepted the truth now, breather?"

Breather. Human. Bloodbag. Beneath Vampires. All those derogatory terms, she hated them. They might have surprised humanity by coming out of the shadows. But humans hadn't come this far on strength alone. One day vampires would find out they stood no chance against technology and science. Winn hoped she would be there for that revolution.

Chewing her lip she took a moment to speak. "Eric I've come with a request."

He raised a brow, urging her to continue.

"Do you know any tales of vampires in Britannia, around nine-hundred A.D.?"

"That depends." He was referring to her request.

"On what?"

"On you." He pushed off from the desk and took a step towards her.

She took a step back, brow furrowing. "On me _what?"_

Before he could answer there was commotion outside. Eric looked at the door with loathing. "It appears there is business I must attend too."

It was only Pam and Winn left. She wondered if Eric would ever come back to this request of hers. Pam looked at her up and down. "A thousand years to evolve and this is the best you came up with?" Then she glided out of the room, having said her piece.

Winn was more stunned they had even left her in the office, with all the personal information. Eric might have decided he had business to attend to, but Winn had been here for three hours now and she wasn't going to be put on the backburner again.

In the short span they had been in the office the club was well active, like a beacon drawing in sailors. Tonight the club was especially crowded.

Standing in the corner was a leathery looking vampire, face grim and slightly hunched over as if he carried the weight of the world of his shoulders. "So that's what Gollum got up to after the movies ended." Winn muttered absently.

Just as she was about to walk up to Eric who was in deep conversation with a vexed looking Sookie and the raven-haired vampire, something caught her attention. Squinting through the darkness she inhaled sharply. Oh that was not good. The man who looked one mask away from becoming a full on gimp was up to no good. Her hand tightened on the weapon beneath her jacket. Licking her lips nervously she walked behind him and hurried towards the exit. Whatever she had with Eric would need to wait.

Flinging the door open she breathed in the cool night air and walked hastily to her car. As she looked behind her, the man was still inside the club. Good.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

It was only one night before Eric visited her again. After Dallas she was heading somewhere else, maybe another continent.

He had rapped on her door in several quick successions. "You knew of the raid on my club?" His voice was silky.

"What? No." She answered in surprise. Winn didn't know the shifty guy had lead to a raid on his club, but it served Eric right. If there had been a planned raid on his club it was likely with good reason. She hoped they caught whatever it was he was up too. Judging by how he was standing on her doorstep, however, he got away with it.

His eyes narrowed. "Then take the time now to delve into your impeccably timed leave."

"No, I didn't know he was planning a raid on your club. I just knew he was in the army. Tattoos tell a lot about a man. Usually they end up working in enforcement later and he was way too shifty for being off-duty. Those guys go hard as a mother when they're out partying. So I got out."

"And why does that have any bearing on you?"

She licked her lips and was hesitant to give an answer. but his looks of irritation at her withholdings was enough to confess, "I'm carrying several illegal firearms with me. I need to move around the U.S. freely, not locked up in some jail figuring out if I like being bottom or top."

His eyes wandered back to her. "Observant."

"I don't have the luxury of being blind to my surroundings."

He made a noncommittal sound. A long silence ensued and Winn was closing her door when he spoke. "I'm going up to Dallas for a few days."

"Great."

"Would you care to join me?"

"No."

"A shame you so adamantly refuse. Sookie Stackhouse was much more willing to take me up on my offer."

Winn opened the door a fraction wider and eyed him suspiciously, "Sookie is going with you?"

He gave a slow nod and each drawled word was punctuated, "Hm yes, she's quiet excited to be surrounded by all those vampires."

"Why is Sookie going with you?" Winn had the impression that Sookie wasn't particularly fond of Eric. Coming up to Dallas with him didn't seem logical. The girl was stupid, that much Winn knew. Going into a dark bar full of vampires had been an exciting adventure for her, and to be placed in a potentially perilous situation with many more seemed suicidal. Just thinking about it raised the hair on Winns neck.

"A friend of mine has gone missing: Godric. I intend to find him." Erics eyes seemed more focused now.

"Sookie comes in to this . . . how?"

Eric was the epitome of nonchalant as he gazed at her. "She has unique abilities that she's planning on using. And she has a debt to settle with me."

"So you're forcing her into the situation."

"My, so quick to think the worst. Sookie knew what she was going into when she struck a deal with me to excuse her friends poor behaviour. Regardless of your opinions, she _is_ coming, though we will see how her naiveté deals with more cunning opposition."

Oh damn him. Maybe she could switch Sookies place for her own. The words were forced out through clenched teeth, "Do you need someone else more qualified than Sookie Stackhouse to go?"

"Are you asking to join?"

"I'm asking if I can switch places with Sookie." Winn ground out.

"Ms. Stackhouse is quiet the stubborn little thing, but if you were to accompany her . . . "

Winn understand now. Sookie was apparently hellbent on going. And the only way Winn could keep her safe, or attempt to, was to come along. She hated vampires. And the thought of being surrounded by them was making her heart pound in her chest, but it had to be done. It had to be done for Sookie fucking Stackhouse. Winn raised her head and stared at him, "I'll go. But you need to tell me more."

Eric crossed his arms, looking down at her. He seemed satisfied by her answer. "The Fellowship of the Sun had something to do with it, I'm sure. His blood is valuable, moreso than nearly any other vampire who walks this earth."

Winn disregarded his blood-power comment for now. Eric wasn't forthcoming with information and it was nonsensical to her anyway. Her brows drew together in confusion, "The church right outside of Dallas?"

He tilted his head in appraisal, "You know of it?"

Winn knew of it, alright. Her eyes wandered as her mind began racing. This could be a beneficial trip, then. Not only could Winn keep Sookie safe, but she could inquire about some of the Newlins new infrastructure. They had been receiving ample donations from their members before, but the money needed to build on more acres of land meant huge sums of money was going into their accounts. Whoever was funding this clearly had resources. And where there were resources, was a better chance of Winn locating a weapon strong enough to kill The Vampire. At this point she had read all she could, at least in the state. The Vampires trail had run cold. This was the best option. It was time to move on.

"Yeah, I know of it. Are you sure they took your . . . friend?" Winn wasn't sure if vampires truly understood the concept of friendship.

"He is old and powerful, but it is a possibility I must look into. He _will_ be found." It was a promise, and one that carried dark undertones. It was clear he would do whatever it took to get this vampire Godric back.

Winn had to remember she was only going for Sookie and that was all. Whoever this vampire was, she hoped for her own sake that he was quick to be found. Winn couldn't be bogged down with this little detour for too long. She had a vampire to end. Absentmindedly she toyed with the hem of her sleeve. "I've already met some of the Fellowship, and they just don't seem like the - '

"It is a possibility and we will look into it. Godric missing is dangerous." His eyes had darkened and Winn swallowed nervously. Whoever this vampire was to Eric, his disappearance had struck a nerve with him. Or maybe it was just that a vampire was missing in general. Winn wasn't sure.

She had met some of the members when she had been going up to investigate if they had any use against hunting vampires. Short of being useless, they offered her nothing. The only one who was capable of doing damage was Sarah Newlin, but she being weighed down by an insanity of her own making, and one day it would crush her. Winn didn't want to be dragged down with her, and so she had left. It seemed Eric didn't want to hear this and was determined to travel to Dallas anyway.

Eric brought her attention back. "The jet leaves tomorrow night. A car will pick you up."

Her eyebrows shot up. She couldn't care less about his wealth unless she could utilise it. But being confined in a car and then a plane with vampires? Conversing with one with the regularity she was doing with Eric was bad enough. Being in a confined space? Suicidal. Not to mention the arsenal of weapons she was planning on bringing, for her own as well as Sookies protection. She didn't think her best defence getting caught was "I didn't know they were there" would work dragging a bag loaded with unlicensed weapons.

He interpreted her disbelief as lack of bribing. "When Godric is found you will be given fifty-thousand dollars."

"Do you think I'm dense enough to believe you?"

"I keep my guarantees." He growled in warning and her breath stopped.

"Alright, fine." She breathed. "Fifty-thousand dollars. I'll be taking the train to Dallas, then."

"The plane is safer,"- she snorted-"more luxurious, and faster means of transport."

"Still taking the train."

He shrugged, growing bored. "That is your prerogative then. You _will_ be in Dallas tomorrow night, five A.M. at the very latest."

Winn nodded sharply. "Understood."

As he turned to leave he looked over his shoulder. "Also, Sookie can read minds. I'd rather not have her figure out we are related to one another. Not yet, at least."

While she didn't know Eric's reasoning, it was an opinion she could whole-heartedly agree on. She didn't want anyone know they were related either. Having a vampire in the family wasn't something she'd ever tell anyone. Then it hit her that Sookie could read minds - wait, what?!

As she opened her mouth to rain down questions on Eric he had disappeared into the night. Winn blinked. Then shivered. Vampire speed was terrifying and another stark reminder of the power they held. It was only after he left that she realised she had no way of knowing where exactly Eric wanted to meet her in Dallas. It wasn't a small town, afterall.

With a sigh she shut the door behind her and began to pack her bags. Still, she had to go. Figuring out the specific details would come later. Hopefully. She was going to Dallas. And then she was moving on. There was a vampire to kill.


	3. I Told You So

**I said every tuesday. I know I'm a day late :( Life got in the way.**

* * *

The passing trains rattled the grimy windows. Another forceful gust of air left her as she nearly kissed the ground on her ninetieth pushup. Sweat trickled down her back. A sharp knock on the door stopped her midway. As she bent down to do another the knock came back. With a sigh she pushed herself up and lunged towards the door.

Outside stood a man with a chauffeur hat on. "Ms. Vik?"

"Yeah?"

"Mr. Northman has requested your presence."

She arched a brow. "Look he's going to have to wait a few minutes. I'm not presentable."

"He told me to get you immediately."

"Is he in the car?"

"No ma'am. You will be driven to the location."

She began closing the door. "Then you'll have to wait ten minutes because I'm not leaving like this."

The door slammed in the displeased looking drivers face. Winn hurriedly took a shower and changed into dark clothes. For safety precautions she tucked a silver dagger into her left boot, and wore a delicate looking silver bracelet wrapped multiple times around her wrist for good measure. While it looked dainty and innocent the chain was strong. Already her hair had begun drying in the Dallas heat.

The driver was right where she left him. Winn couldn't help but let out an amused gust of breath as she saw the limousine. An inconspicuous taxi hadn't been subtle enough, apparently. But there was no going back now.

Although the visor was down the ride between them was silent the entire way. Taking a turn off the highway she found herself going from her seedy downtown location and entering a more affluent neighbourhood. Passing several cul-de-sacs she could only surmise it was a family friend area. What the hell was Eric Northman doing out in a family friendly neighbourhood when it was so very clearly not within his element. And what kind of bullshit last name was Northman? If he was a part of her Viking family then his last name didn't match up. She'd have to ask him about it later - and probably get snipped at.

As the limo drove off she could hear kids laughing and screaming joyfully in the distance, taking full advantage of the suns warmth still lingering in the night. The brightly lit modern house stared back at her.

Flexing her hands she decided she couldn't put this off anymore. The doorbell had a nice airy chime and she hopped from foot to foot as she waited impatiently.

It was a beautiful Spanish looking woman who answered. Warm brown eyes looked Winn up and down. "Hm, quite pretty. And so very innocent looking. Eric I did not know you had taken to human companions. I did not think such a girl was your type."

Eric appeared next to her. "I haven't and she's not."

A small smile appeared on Isabels face, who seemed to have come to an understanding. Winn didn't know what it was. The vampire held out her slim hand, "How rude not to introduce myself first: I am Isabel."

Holding her breath Winn forced herself to steady her hand. An image briefly crossed her mind of Isabels hand flashing up to her throat instead, and dragging her inside. The vampires hand was cool as expected; quickly she allowed Winn to take back her hand. "Nice to meet you." Winn breathed.

Isabel stood to the side, "Please! Come in. Would you like anything to drink?"

Winn was taken so off guard she froze mid-way through the entrance. "I - uh - no. No thank-you."

"Winn, I didn't know you'd be here!" A cheerful voice cut through the stunned silence. Of course Sookie was already here. And she was with dark haired vampire.

The dark haired vampire didn't move from where he stood but gave her a curt nod, "I remember you. You were in Fangtasia. I'm Bill Compton."

Winn answered with a half-wave. "Winn."

Isabel gave a sigh, appearing on the other side of the room. "Stan said he'll be here any minute."

"Every passing minute he is gone is another minute Godric still remains missing." Eric sneered.

The female vampire crossed her arms, "I understand your urge to find Godric, we all do. Stan will be here soon."

Winn took a step further away from the scene, deciding to keep to the shadows in the corner. Sookie was still safe, for now at least.

The air stirred and then another vampire stood in the room; Winn jumped in fright. He was a large man with stereotypical Texan attire on. "Looks like we're all gathered and ready to go then."

Erics previously disdained face had slipped back to his usual cold mask. "This is Bill living down in my Area. He's in Dallas because of his human companion: Sookie Stackhouse. She has a rare gift I think we can use agains the Fellowship of the Sun."

Eric had decided to leave her entirely out of this.

"You should've told me Eric hired a fuckin' human, Isabel." Stan drawled.

Sookies eyes narrowed at the insult. "Now wait just a minute."

"Respect her." Bill growled.

"Thank you." Sookie replied, pleased at Bills defence.

They had a goal to accomplish, and were spending it on boosting each other's egos?

"I couldn't tell you, Stan; you've been off on your own for days." Isabel had crossed her arms now, looking at him over her shoulder.

Eric had begun pacing as he listened to their conversation. Evidently the bickering had become too much and he cut in, "Are you certain Godric was abducted by the fellowship of the sun?"

"No." Isabel said.

"Yes." Stan replied at the same moment as the female vampire. It seems the situation was quite the conundrum. Stan continued, "They're the only ones with the organisation and the manpower."

"But they're amateurs. It doesn't make any sense." Isabel continued. _Just like I said,_ Winn thought. "This is Godric we're talking about."

"Age don't make you smart." Stan drawled, eyes flickering to look outside as if bored with the conversation. Eric stiffened at his words.

"Besides there's no _proof."_ Isabel said. Winn raised an eyebrow. Since when did leeches operate on bureaucracy and proofs? She knew of the American Vampire League but assumed it was all just a farce. Whatever this talk of Sheriffs were, there seemed to be a more complex vampiric system in place.

Sookie tried putting on her most charming smile - one that was meant to relax the tense atmosphere, no doubt. "If they've got him, I'll hear it. That's my job."

"There's no reason to wait. We got to take these fanatics out now, full out attack." Stan was like a soldier now. "Exterminate them like the vermin they are. Leave no trace." He finished with a small smirk.

Winns eyes narrowed. No, she didn't like Stan at all. Not just was he a vampire, but he was one with a vindictively joyful bloodlust, that much was obvious. She didn't trust Eric or Bill, but she trusted Stan less.

Isabel crossed her arms, "Hm . . . vampire church annihilated - wonder who did it? _Fucking brilliant."_ She sneered at Stan. Winn's lip quirked before she immediately sobered. They were vampires, she reminded herself harshly.

"I doubt the king of Texas would approve the destruction of out international political agenda." Bill said.

"Fuck that. The Great Revelation is the biggest mistake we ever made." Stan argued, his eyes dark with regret.

Winn ran her tongue over her teeth. He was an animal. And she wanted to kill him. And run away from him. Fuck him. He was the monster she knew all vampires were - he just had no qualms about hiding it. Her eyes were trained on him like a hawk. Stan was a vile, foul thing.

His words seemed to snap Isabel out of her rigid state and she whirled around, hissing, "Don't use Godrics name to make your own little political power play."

"You are completely incompetent!" Eric snarled softly. Both the Texan vampires head snapped to look at Eric. Watching the power struggle in front of her was like watching beasts bicker, driven more on instinct and viciousness then communicative negotiations. It made her keenly aware of where her own defines and safety was lying. Bill had Sookie. She had no one.

"What's happened to Godric that he surrounds himself with clowns?" Eric sneered in disdain, looking down on the Texans.

Isabels voice was silky, "We invited you as a curtesy; this is not your territory. You have no voice here."

"Yeah Sheriff, why don't you run on back down to Louisiana. We don't need you or your puppet."

Stan said with the crossing of his arms, tone haughty at the accusation. These talks were going nowhere.

Sookie decided to defend herself, as if anyone cared about the human, "And I'm not going anywhere."

Eric bared his teeth as the looked at the vampires across from him. "Idiots"

They settled into a short silence. The tension was suffocating. It didn't last long as Stan placed his large hands on his hips.

"We take them all out at once, preemptive strike." Stan said it more like it was an order than a suggestion. It seems in the course of the argument he had assumed power. At least in his mind.

"Of course - so the federal government can bomb us back into the middle ages!" Isabel snapped.

Stan snorted, "Things were better then."

Isabel took a step forwards, standing so close to she was a hairs width away. Stan puffed up at the clear threat and bared his teeth. "Then go back to Romania and live in a cave, you _ranchero_ poser!"

Winn jumped as Eric threw a vase at the wall at speeds that were only a blur to her. "Godric has protected you; made you rich! And you stand here spitting and scratching like infants!" He roared.

Bill tried to steer the conversation away from the current one. "Don't any of you care there's a traitor in your midst?"

Stan didn't even bother looking at Bill. "No." he replied. His dark gaze was focused on Eric, the source of his wounded pride.

But Isabel looked shocked and her eyes flickered to Sookie. "Impossible." She breathed.

Sookie relayed the story of the airport kidnapping. Winn was glad she had decided to stick with her long uncomfortable train route.

"You were the only ones who knew we were coming." Bill accused.

Eric stalked over to them, "Explain."

The two Texans began bickering again, Sookie came in with more comments that no one cared about, and Winn leaned back against the wall.

"Ill infiltrate the fellowship of the sun." Sookie volunteered proudly.

Winn stared at her dumbfounded, kicking off the wall. She couldn't tell if the blonde was stupid, naive, or both.

"No, let her speak." Eric said before the protests could flare up. Stan groaned. Sookie came with an almost convincing explanation on why she should be the sacrificial lamb.

But Bill was astutely against it. "No. None of us can help you during the day."

"I will do it." Winn offered softly. The room went quite as all eyes went to her. She swallowed and took a step forwards out of the safety of the shadows. Light above illuminated her. Eric raised a brow. "I have already studied the Fellowship of the Sun. I know the blueprints of the building - I know the entire layout. They already know me, so there would be no suspicion at the timing of an outsider poking around the Church."

"Oh so you're one of them?" Stan growled, taking a step forwards.

"Silence!" Eric snarled, throwing him a look over his shoulder before returning his attention to Winn. Bill looked relieved that he didn't need to worry about Sookie.

She felt nauseous as Stan continued to stare at her. Like she was a piece of meat. She was just another bloodbag, one who could be easily discarded. Was she going to die at his hands by nights end? Then her eyes flickered to Sookie and she remembered why she had come here. The damn naive human. Not just was the Vampire trying to end her life, but it appears Stan was going to as well. And right now he was definitely closer to her than the Vampire was. Winn turned her attention back to Eric. She was placing her life in his cold, dead hands and she hoped that would mean enough for Stan to back off. "They know me already. They wouldn't be suspicious if I came back. I can look around and see if I can find your vampire."

"But I can do that too." Sookie countered.

Groaning internally, Winn turned to face her. Why couldn't she just be quiet? "If you get into trouble you're at their mercy. You have no skills in either defence or offence - you might have to use both."

"I mean they're just a Church. You can't really think they'll harm me, being under Gods careful eye and all." Sookie smiled brightly, as if a positive attitude would sway Winn.

Winn crossed her arms. "I don't think you understand what people under the influence of religion will and won't do. And if it is true that they have managed to capture this vampire . . . then they know more than you give them credit for."

"But this is only supposed to be to find out if it's true they have him or not. Not some type of explorin' mission, right? We don't even know if we they have him." Sookie said. "I mean look, that was the whole point of bringing me along, wasn't it?" She turned to Eric, directing the question to him. "Things won't go wrong. I'll just be there for the day, do what I do best, and then come back here!"

"Sookie you have no expierence and you don't know what you're looking for." Winn argued.

"I know exactly what I'm looking for." Sookie said with the confidence only the naive could have.

"If it leads us to Godric, we'll do it. The decision is made." Eric said with finality.

The breath seemed to leave Winn as she stared at dead Viking feeling betrayed. He was sending in Sookie over her? Only of the two humans in this room had expierence. It certainly wasn't Sookie. But the decision seemed to have been made and no one argued against it. The conversation was over and everyone began drifting about in the room.

Isabel went over to Sookie, giving her a kind smile before launching into conversation about human-vampire relationships. Winn tuned out, she didn't want to hear any more of it. How could they do it? How could a human possibly want to engage with a vampire like that? It made her skin crawl and her stomach roil.

Eric and Bill were having a heated conversation by the fireplace, but it was too far away from her to hear. Her gaze kept being pulled to the door, waiting for Stan to burst though and sink his fangs into her sink. She could see it now, saw herself desperately clawing at his arm to get him to release her, feel the life drained from her as her she struggle futilely. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she crossed her arms. Both Eric and Bill looked over to her. Bill went back to the conversation quicker than Eric. Winn looked away, settling on a meaningless spot on the floor.

Stan sneered and adjusted his cufflinks before heading towards the door. He bumped against her shoulder, looking down at her as he passed. "I'd watch my back if I were you."

"You will not touch her." Eric hissed, head snapping towards him.

Stan froze and Winn scrambled backwards away from the threat. The Texan paused and then began to smirk. "She doesn't seem claimed, now does she. Maybe I'll do it, if not to shut you the fuck up."

Fangs shot out. "She is not claimed but she belongs to me. Godric might have tolerance with every fuck up you've done in your insignificant immortal life, but I don't."

"Easy." Isabel warned. "All guests are welcome in this house - Stan, leave. Eric, you are welcome to make yourself at -"

"I'll be leaving soon with Winn. This nest means nothing to me if Godric is missing." Eric retracted his fangs with a click. Stan held a competitive glint in his eyes, before giving a mocking nod and leaving the house in a flash. For a moment Winn thought she was faint. She knew she meant nothing to Stan, and she doubt she mattered much to Eric had all beyond a detached interest . . . still, it was like two beasts who had found the same piece of meat.

It didn't take long for Eric to finish up his conversation with Bill. Eric walked away from the stunned dark-haired vampire, and Winn couldn't help but wonder what the Viking had told him.

He opened the door, "Come on."

For once she was incredibly glad to be with Eric. Winn didn't need to be told twice and hurried behind him, getting into the passengers seat of the black Ford. As they began driving away from the area Winn remembered enough of the route to know he was taking her back to the motel.

Stan had terrified her and shaken her up. She needed to get her mind off of him. Right now, there was nothing she could do about Stan.

Winn broke the silence, curious what the relation was between the two vampires - perhaps both Viking? "This vampire . . . Godric . . . is he like . . . you?"

"He is ten times the vampire I will ever be." Eric said it so resolutely she knew he would not be discussing anything further about Godric. She had never seen a vampire react so strongly to one of their own kind missing. Even Stan and Isabel didn't seem worried about his disappearance, only the threat of humans. But Eric seemed emotionally invested in the vampire. Who was Godric?

They took a sharp turn onto another road. The city loomed ahead of them.

"I don't belong to you."

"You can repeat that until your voice grows hoarse. You still belong to me."

Her hands tightened on the strap of the seatbelt as she fought the urge to argue with him. There was no point, he had just said so himself. She tried to be more productive. "Theres a difference between claiming and belonging to someone, you said so yourself. What is it?"

His eyes scanned the dark road. "That is irrelevant to you."

"Considering there's an argument between you and Stan over me, I think its relevant."

"There is no argument. If Stan touches you, he's dead."

"You would kill Stan for me?" She asked, surprised.

"Stan is a stupid, pathetic fuck. Sooner or later he'll meet the true death."

They settled into silence again as she thought hard about Erics words. Multiple train tracks began running parallel to each other now.

"If all of you hadn't been off fucking Norwegian farm boys, then perhaps you wouldn't be so short." Eric said suddenly. Winn blinked in surprise, caught off guard. And what the hell did he mean all of them? Who know what her ancestors had gotten up too.

"I'm not small, I'm perfectly average for me height."

"We're not in the Shire anymore."

"I'm thrilled you're up to date on pop culture references."

"I am immortal, not boring."

Winn glared at him. "Maybe if you had been there to guide our human family on their procreating endeavours we would all be tall and blonde Viking warriors still. It's a shame you aren't immort- oh wait."

If he hadn't bothered to keep in contact with his lineage, then he had no right to bitch about how she had turned out to be short and brunette. His jaw tightened and he said no more. It was a small victory, so pathetic it wasn't even satisfying.

The car slid up to the sidewalk. She opened up the car door. Eric glanced at her from the corner of his eye, "I'll keep in contact with you."

She gave him a thumbs up, done with the conversation. If Eric was going to be withholding all information and seem to only talk with her when he wanted to insult her then she wasn't going to indulge him further.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

She was drinking a cup of coffee, sitting down on her old chair in the kitchen. The page from the book she was reading was beige from wear. The familiar smell of laundry detergent, wood, and pine enveloped her as she sat in the home she had grown up in. The fired roared in the fireplace, casting a warm glow across the room. Outside the sky was darkening, though it was morning.

Coffee sloshed out of the mug as she jumped in surprise; a branch had hit the window. Standing up slowly she looked outside to see the darkened sky had stolen the morning light away. That was odd. Curiosity propelled her to bed on her wellington boots and go outside.

The ocean was right outside her door, a dark volatile mixture propelled by the violent storm churning right above her. The clouds were heavy with unreleased rain and they rumbled in discontent, the feeling shaking her bones. Sea salt sprayed upwards and she licked her lips.

She took a step down and the water rushed up to greet her, soaking her to her knees. And then the current took a hold of her. With a cry she tried to fight it, but it was no use. She fell backwards and was dragged out.

She fought to exhaustion until she could do no more than float, allowing the giant waves to carry her further out in vast space. Her house was long gone. Now it was only her, the waves, and the brewing storm above. The horizon was dark and foreboding. Dark greys and blacked interwove with each other.

Lightning ran through the clouds. In a moment they would strike down. Suddenly she felt no fear and righted herself, treading the water. The waves seemed to become subdued, as if knowing what was coming. She looked up into the sky, feeing the rain begin to pelt down.

Soon they turned to sheets of ice that blanked the ocean. And then the lightening struck down in slow motion before hitting her. It electrified her to her core, hitting every nerve, every cell in her body. She closed her eyes. It was painful, but she felt only at peace. Then she woke up with a startled gasp.

Rolling onto her side she checked the phone with squinted eyes. While she knew she would have woken up if she had received a text or call, there was still nothing. Yesterday she had given Sookie her number, with a promise Sookie would let her know she was safe. But there was only the time staring back at her. Rolling out of bed she began gathering her gear. While she held out hope Sookie was just being ditzy and forgetting to shoot Winn a text, she had to be realistic.

As she tugged the grey Henley over her head she had a sneaking suspicion not having any kevlar would bite her in the ass later.

There was a sharp on her door. Yanking it open she saw Eric leaning against the frame.

Winn sighed. "You haven't gotten any signal from Sookie either, have you? She should have called at thirteen-hundred hours."

He raised a brow, "You think Sookie knows military time?"

"No. I don't. Fuckin' Sookie." Winn sighed. They were heading to the Fellowship, and it didn't look like it was going to be pretty. She hoped wherever Sookie was, she was alive and that nothing too bad happened too her.

Eric jerked his head. "Come on, Buffy, we're leaving."


	4. Ring of Fire

Winn watched in the corner of her eye as Eric grew displeased over something Isabel said, to which the vampires smiled in response. It was a mocking smile. Winn, however, would never know about their discussion as overpowering music blasted from her headphones. It was angry music, full of metal and angered singers unleashing their bitter emotions. Squatting down, she finished assembling the assault rifle. The music did little to distract her from the current situation.

It was too emotionally charged. Winn didn't tell Eric as he would likely have ripped her head clean off, so she settled for trying to guide him instead. Despite Winn offering up the blue print, Eric had carelessly tossed them onto the ground. The other leeches didn't care either. They were solely relying on their heightened speed and strength. It was only the human with them who knew the layout of the building. And that somehow wasn't very comforting. The gun clicked as she removed the safeguard. Standing up she looked over at the two vampires, removing her headphones. "Are we ready?"

"We shouldn't even need preparation against these scared bible boys." Eric muttered, eyes gazing over the humans milling around pretending to be soldiers.

 _Those bible boys seem to have your vampire, maybe you should lessen your arrogance._ She thought. Though she had to admit their form was terrible and they had no coordination. Winn nearly snorted. In front of her were men pretending to be soldiers. But it didn't mean they were any less dangerous.

"Stan will meet us at the entrance." Isabel said as her fingers blurred over the keys of her phone before sliding it into her back-pocket.

They headed towards an empty side door. The entire area was unguarded. Once inside they already found Stan in the hallway. After giving Winn a dark look that made her breath falter he focused back on the vampires and jerked his head. They immediately began following him and Winn trailed behind. There was nothing she could do to get Stans attentions off of her besides leaving Dallas. Once Sookie was safely out of the church and away from all of these vampires, then Winn was taking a one way ticket out of here. Maybe it was time for a trip to South America.

She tuned back into the bickering conversation between Stan and Isabel.

"Maybe the little rat's run off. Joined the fellowship himself." Stan said.

Isabels body went rigid. _"Careful._ Hugo is mine."

Stan crossed his arms. "Oh please, if you cared about him so much we'd have been in that church hours ago."

Isabel threw him a look of frustration, "With no plan, no exit strategy - that's why you'll never be Sheriff, Stan, you don't think."

"And you're too chicken-shit to act. That's why you've been getting Godrics coffee for the past forty years." Stan turned his attention to Eric, voice full of loathing, making Winn immediately take a step back from an ensuing fight, "And you: Fellowship has your Maker and your talented little telepath and still, you do nothing."

Winn barely had time to register how Eric tensed in anger before he had whirled around and slammed Stan against the wall, teeth bared; Winn flinched. "Are you questioning my loyalty, Stan?"

Even through a careless smirk, it was obvious Stan knew he had overstepped his boundaries. "Just trying to deliver Godric to his rightful position."

Erics fist tightened on Stans shirt. "Oh really? 'Cus I think maybe you have another agenda. Maybe you think starting a war with the fellowship will distract us from the truth: that you're so starved for power you murdered Godric for his title."

Unconsciously Winn shrank back. Eric was trembling with barely contained fury. Nausea bubbled up within and she whipped her clammy hands on her jeans as she remembered the vampire who had destroyed her life. It was the same anger, except The Vampires had been fully unleashed in a frenzied state of hysteria. But Eric was close now too. Whatever Godric meant to him, it was enough to cause him to come to a breaking point.

Stans voice came out gravelly, "That is a lie. How dare you accuse me."

Isabel tried to diffuse the situation, placing a hand on Erics chest, "Eric, we don't know this. There's no proof."

Eric was unrelenting, eyes dark with fury focused solely on Stan, "Not yet - but I will find it. And when I do, there will be no mercy." He turned around sharply, jerking out of Isabels hold, "in the meantime, you two can stand here and quibble over his position - or run into that church and kill them all, I no longer care."

Winn let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. Eric had made her uneasy before, but now he was terrifying. He slipped through the door and Isabel and Stan followed. Winn trailed behind them, trying to steady her trembling hands. She would need them to be steady if one of the vampires attacked her. The notion she all she would need to worry about tonight was humans had been a naive one.

Her mind tried to keep track of where they were going in regards to the blueprint. It was easier said than done. For now she was disorientated, and had to resort to relying on the vampires in front of her. They travelled in silence.

After another few turns and going down a staircase Winn began unfolding the blueprint and checking where she was.

Looking up she let out a stream of swears beneath her breath. The leeches had disappeared. Winn was entirely on her own. And now that she was separated from Eric, who might just have had the decency to protect her from Stan - well, now she had to worry about Stan trying to murder her too. She wondered if she would even have time to scream. And then the room changed to flashing red as alarms were activated and the wailing sirens began, piercing her ears. Whatever previous plans there had been about moving undetected through the church was no longer possible. Still, she had a goal and she was damned if she'd leave here without achieving it.

Winn doggedly pursued the files she was after. Staying close to the walls she moved with purpose. Finally the layout of the church became familiar and she remembered how it looked regarding the blueprints. It led her to several rooms wherein she quickly looked through the drawers, but found nothing of interest. With an annoyed sigh she slammed a drawer shut in frustration. The only thing that dulled her frustration was that she hadn't run into any members yet. Now, it was time to go down another level. Winn exited the room and stalked down a hallway. Then she found herself in an empty room that intersected two different hallways. It wasn't large, maybe three yards squared.

She heard a terrified scream and instantly her throat tightened. It was Sookie. Her head whipped to the stairway, "Sookie I'm coming!"

Something slammed into her and her mouth opened into a silent scream as something tore through clothing, skin, and sinew with a squelch. She slid down the wall and blinked furiously, trying to regain control of her body through the blinding pain. A fist swung at her, snapping her head backwards and blood sprayed out. Bright stars filled her vision. Upon her was a spindly man with crooked yellow teeth and a leering gaze. "Bad time to take your attention away." He breathed with a smile, his pointed chin growing sharper with the movement.

He began advancement upon her and with one good arm she dragged herself back, and then fell over. Winn grappled for the pistol nestled in the holster on her thigh. His eyes widened in realisation and he dove for her. Crying out she hit the trigger. The Southerner went down with a scream, curling up as his hands went to his shin. Thick blood seeped through his fingers like a bursting dam. "You fuckin' whore!" He let out a strangled scream.

But all the noise around her was dim in comparison to the ringing that filled her ears. She hated tinnitus.

Her hand gripped onto the hilt of the knife and gave a sharp tug. Winn fell back, her mouth gaping and breaths shallow as dark spots swarmed around her vision. The knife was slack in her grip. The Southerner had begun pulling himself towards her in fury, red face glistening with sweat. Each drag towards her left a bloody handprint in his wake. The pain kept her paralysed; she was helpless but to watch him come closer, intent on murdering her. Her finger twitched.

She could see the acne glistening under a sheen of sweat; could smell cheesy Doritos and stale cigarettes. He began raising himself higher to strangle her. Winns hand shot out and the knife buried in his throat. Eyes bulging in surprise he collapsed next to her. Wet blood seeped into her hair and she forced herself away from the dying man. The hot blood felt as smothering as tar.

Adrenaline and instinctive survival were the only things keeping her from freezing up with horror as the Southerner began gurgling, fingers twitching. Hitting the wall she began to drag herself up into a half-standing position. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage and perspiration made stray strands of hair cling to the nape of her neck.

Her eyes darted towards the shadow in the hallway before a man entered, pistol held loosely in his hand. He was burly with a shaved head and a tattoo of a snake slithering underneath his white collar. The man didn't seem horrified at his dead companion on the floor. His pale blue eyes flickered down to the corpse, then eyebrows rose in appraisal before focusing on Winn. "Seems like you did quite a number." He drawled.

Winn didn't answer, instead she stared at him, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.

The man crossed his thick arms. "So what are you: fangbanging slut or subhuman filth?"

"If you don't know the difference does it matter?" She asked, voice hoarse.

He shrugged. "I suppose not. It just depends on if you'll die now or later."

A shiver went up her spine. She clutched the gun and raised it up, "Don't take another step forwards or I'll shoot."

He let out a low, dark chuckle. "Girls don't know how to use those. You just got lucky before. Naw - now, you're role? I'll remind you of your subservient role you're supposed to play. Hell you might even like it." He winked. "Hell, I know you will. I do it right. And those screams will be sweet music to my ears."

Her lip trembled as she stared at him. Winn raised the gun. Her voice shook, "Don't make me shoot you."

"I'd just like you to know my name: Monroe. You'll be screaming it soon enough." He drawled. His hands went down to his belt buckle, a smirk growing on his face.

Cold dread filled her and she clutched the semi so tightly her knuckles whitened. Her finger slid up to the trigger, getting ready to pull. A step forward was all he managed before there was a white blur; Monroe cried out in pain while leaning backwards at an odd angle as he was being held in a death grip by someone a head shorter than he was. But the boy had broad shoulders, and the muscles that shifted as he held tightly onto Monroe were evident.

With the ease Monroe was being held, despite his wild movements and flailing fists, she knew the boy - or man - behind him was a vampire. He sneered at the Southerner before his dark eyes flashed up and locked with hers. Everything about him spoke of a minatory prowess. She forgot about the current situation as she stared right back.

Unconsciously Winn leaned forwards. No, his eyes weren't dark as obsidian, it was the pupils that had blown up, seeming to swallow his iris' whole. He didn't break eye contact with her, only tilted his head back as if to observe her better. Winn fought the urge to shrink back against his hard gaze.

She saw his muscles tightening around the mans neck and she cried out, "Stop! Don't kill him! Please." It should have made her sick, begging for a would be rapists life. But it wasn't hers to take. She had already taken one life and it felt like a dark stain on had placed on her soul. Monroe would get what was coming to him. But not like this.

"This man was about the harm you." His voice seemed tightly controlled. It was an accent she couldn't discern, a mixture of multiple accents that seemed to transcend time and geography.

Her voice was now a hoarse whisper, "You don't get to play God."

His lip seemed to tremble, as if struggling to keep the straight line of seriousness. There was a look of dark irony in his eyes, with a story she wasn't privy too. It sent a shiver up her spine as she waited for an answer. The silence stretched painfully long as he simply seemed to be observing her, drinking in every minuscule shift in her expression. "You are right." He said finally. Then she saw his arms tighten around Monroe throat, tilting his neck upwards.

It was a temporary measure to knock him unconscious; she had seen it a few times during her days out in the field. His face began to go red and Winn winced, choosing to focus on the ground instead of Monroe's animalistic struggle, or the way the vampire refused to stop staring at her; it was unnerving. The vampire released Monroe and he dropped with a thud, unconscious - she hoped. It brought her out of the odd world the vampire had seemed to have dropped in her with his mere presence. She swallowed as she realised she was in a room, alone with the undead. Fear shot through her veins and her heart pounded against her chest. If she distracted him, maybe he wouldn't tear the flesh from her neck and drain her.

"Are you Godric?" She asked, strengthening her voice. The sirens had come back to their full wail.

Only his expression gave away his answer. Horror punched her in the gut - oh god, Sookie.

The vampire already seemed ahead of her own thoughts, "Sookie Stackhouse is safe. She is being escorted out of the building."

Her eyes flickered to the stairs that would take her to the lower levels where Sookie should be. "And you? Why aren't you with Eric then? You need to get out - you're not safe here."

For a second she couldn't understand his expression until it hit her and her eyes narrowed in frustration. He was openly amused now, looking at her as if her words were endearing. "I am more than capable of handling myself, young one."

Winn stated at him for a moment. Then she gritted her teeth. "Look I haven't come here for a discussion with you, I came here with a mission. So don't argue with me." Then she realised she had ordered around a feral creature. "Please." She added.

"Yes, Eric sent humans after me." He said. His voice was filled with some form of disappointment and Winn felt the annoyance within flare. Who was he to decide that humans were useless?

"And it was also humans who got you into this situation, so maybe you can start being a little less careless." Her words were sharp as a whip before she could stop herself.

He didn't seem infuriated with her words. To her confusion, he became thoughtful. "Humans have played quite a large role."

Who was that teenager? Or man? He seemed to be somewhere in his late teens, on the cusp of being twenty. And yet, his eyes told a different story. Certainly he was older than he looked. His senile attitude sure seemed to indicate otherwise. Her eyes narrowed. "Look, you can contemplate whatever it is you want for eternity, just _outside_ of this place. As in up the stairs, and out of the building outside. Not down here where there are countless Fellowship members. In case you haven't noticed they're not the most hospitable church members."

His eyes flickered down and he frowned. Then he seemed to understand something, and his head cocked slightly to the side, "Yes, they do seem to have become most hostile."

With a heavy sigh she jerked the gun towards the door. She drew herself up to her full height, ignoring the pain. "I am Sergeant Winifred Vik and I order you to go up those stairs and get out of the building." She ordered, voice with as much authority as she could muster over the pain. It wasn't technically true, not anymore. But he didn't need to know that.

Godric stared at her for a moment, then gave a small bow, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "As you wish." He finally acquiesced. He was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Jesus." She muttered. As she moved away from the wall she finally let out a cry of pain. The pain from a knife slicing through you like butter was nothing short of indescribable. Still, she hoisted up the gun that had been slipping in her sweaty palms and headed downstairs.

Then she paused in the hallway. Two men lay either dead or unconscious on the floor. Their weapons had been thrown down the hallway. Winn paused for a second and looked down the hallway in slowly dawning alarm. Had Stan done this? Had he drained them?

She moved cautiously now, taking the steps one slow foot at a time, gun held out in front of her. While using the pistol was less convenient than the assault rifle, with only one arm currently functioning it was the best weapon she could use.

Every movement of her right hand caused another stab of pain to her wound. At the bottom of the stairs was another member, propped up against the wall, head lolling to the side. Winn crouched next to him, but to her surprise there were no bite wounds. Placing the gun on the ground she pressed two fingers to the pulse on his neck and was surprised to find one still there, beating steadily. With a shake of her head she stood up. This made no sense. Certainly it wasn't Stans doing. Nor Erics. Both vampires would happily murder humans. Stan with a perverse joy, and Eric she had a sneaking suspicion cared little for human life either.

In the basement there was no signs of Sookie, only an unconscious man. Her eyebrows rose in surprise at finding out the vampire had been honest with her. The man was in a loose business suit, with large circles of sweat under his armpits. It was difficult to say if he was a member or not. Judging by his outfit and being unconscious in what could be a hypothetical holding cell . . . well, it was hard to tell. And frankly, she didn't care. Then her eyes flickered to the walls behind him and she looked in appraisal.

Boxes lined the walls, filled with hundreds of files. Well, shit. She didn't have the time to look through all of it. Quickly she scanned the descriptions on each box. All she was curious about were the boxes involving monetary transactions; specifically donations. Her bloody finger ran over the words, leaving red trails in its wake.

With a heavy tug one of the boxes fell onto the floor. Ripping the lid open the fingered through each envelope. "Hugo!" A voice behind her cried. Whirling around he saw Isabel had appeared and rushed to crouch down next to the human. Then she looked up at Winn, face etched with concern, "What happened to him?"

Winns hand had paused at a middle file. "I don't know. He was unconscious when I got here."

With a sigh Isabel lifted him up as if he was weightless. Winn stared for a moment, both interested and shocked at how easy it appeared. But she knew how easy it was for a vampire to toss around humans and do with them as they pleased. Still, it didn't cease to remind her how strong a vampire really was. Isabel turned to look at her. "You should go." Was all she said before disappearing.

Shaking her head Winn returned to searching through the files. Pulling one of them up she let out a sound of triumph. Forgetting the situation she was in, she began to quickly look at all the documents inside and then her eyes widened. The Newlins hadn't just gotten an absurdly large donation bordering on suspicious, they had engaged in some illegal activities over that money. Winn grabbed several other envelopes at random. Quickly she closed the manila envelope and stood up. Having the files she needed, all she had to do was find Steve Newlin. Or his wife. Though she was hoping to run into the former. Newlin was stupider, and thus easier to deal with. And with her throbbing shoulder, easier to deal with is what she needed.

She came up the stairs to find the entire church hall flooded with Fellowship members. Quickly she hid behind the doorframe. Peaking out, she saw Eric had been chained down to the dais, and Sookie was being held by two Fellowship members. Stan and Isabel were nowhere in sight. Every Fellowship member had weapons. While she might be able to take down a few of them with her gun, the vast majority would still be standing. And it wouldn't help her get to Sookie. Her shoulders began to deflate in defeat at the hopeless situation unfolding before her. Although Winn knew another exit point, she couldn't leave without Sookie.

And then the situation got worse. The doors slammed open and vampires flooded inside. Stan stood tall and proud, an army of vampires behind him. "Steve Newlin, you pushed us too far. You expect us to sit on our thumbs while you round up your men to come stake us? We'll kill you first. Same way we did your father."

Instantly Winn swung her gun upwards, training it on Stan. There was a cry of horror from Fellowship members had Sookie ran forwards and released Eric from the silver binding him down. In a flash he held Steve by the throat.

Newlins face transformed into pain and fury as his eyes focused on Stan, voice coming out strangled against Erics tight grip, "Murderer!" Then he was shoved back onto the floor. Winns eyes flickered between Stan and Eric, now unsure of who she should shoot first. And then she realised the pistol had normal bullets in it. That wouldn't kill any of them.

Stan sneered, "Destroy them, all of them."

The room descended into chaos and screams of terror echoed off the walls. Vampires were gripping humans by the throat, reading to sink their fangs into warm flesh. They were going to drain the humans dry. Winn made a move into the room. She couldn't end them permanently, but blowing their brains out was better than doing nothing as she watched her own kind getting slaughtered.

"Enough!" Godrics voice cut through the room, loud and clear. It took Winn a moment to realise he had made up to the second floor, nearly right above her. He looked like something otherworldly, looking down on humans and vampires alike. Light from behind him illuminated his outline. "You came for me, I assume. Underling? These people have no harmed me . . . You see, we can coexist. Mr. Newlin, I do not wish to create bloodshed when none is called for. Help me set an example. If we leave you in peace, will you do the same?"

Winn understood Newlins agony, and understood him when he replied, voice trembling in fury: "I will not negotiate with subhumans. Kill me - do it! Jesus will protect me."

"I am actually older than your jesus. I wish I could've known him, but I missed it." Godric said. Then he disappeared. There was a cry of shock from someone in the crowd. He reappeared behind Newlin, grabbing him by the back of his collar. Winns gun swung to focus on him. Newlin was lifted up effortlessly. When Godric asked them to weight their dedication to the cause, Winn knew the fight was over then. People began hurriedly filing out of the building after the vampires backed down. The acoustics in the room made it so Winn could hear what was happening in the front of the room, even with Godrics voice being lowered. "I daresay my faith in humankind is stronger than yours."

Winn sneered at that. Did it not surprise him, that Newlin would hate vampires after what happened to his family? No, of course it didn't. They were all just prey to vampires, all of them alike. Still, this vampire had the nerve to criticise Newlin. And the Reverend would never receive the justice he deserved, because vampires had no regard for law and there was no measurements put in place to stop them. And yet, they questioned why they were hated.

Godric along with Stan began to move out of the church. Winn on the other hand, had other plans. As she moved towards the alter Sookie blocked her way. The blondes eyes widened with horror and she surged closer, "Holy crap! Winn we need to get you help."

Winns brows furrowed, "What?"

"You're bleeding - badly." Sookies hands moved upwards as she began fussing over the wounded Norwegian in front of her, "What happened?"

"Look I'm fine. Can you just -" her head moved to look over the vampires, seeing if Newlin was still there.

As Sookie reached out to affectionally touch her Winn recoiled. Her eyes flashed to the blonde in anger, "I'd start feeling a hell of a lot better if you got out of my way." Then she evaded any further emotional interrogations, siding-stepping the American.

She began moving through the wave of vampires, nimbly dodging them as her eyes locked on Newlin. "W-Winn?" He called in surprise. Several heads turned to look at her, and there was a hiss that made her hair on her neck stand on end. "Wha - are you - have they turned you towards the darkness?"

The gun was loosely by her side. When she got closer to Newlin she waved the gun at him "Come on, get up."

"Are you here to help me?" His voice sounded like a scared child with a ray of hoping piercing through, despite his previous accusation.

"No. Now get up, we need to talk." She said. With a sigh she grabbed onto the lapel of his shirt and dragged him upwards; he stumbled onto his feet. She half pulled him towards the office, ignoring the stares from the few humans left in the room.

Once they were in the office she locked the door behind her. "Sit." She commanded. To his credit, Newlin listened without a complaint.

"I can't believe you're one of them. I let you into this church, and through God's good-will and graces, you learnt how to see the light. How did one of His lambs stray so far from the flock?"

"I don't do religion." Not anymore. No God she knew would allow what had happened to her parents take place.

He pointed to her injury. "That there wound is just the start of the Lords punishment. First you will be punished on this plane, and then your soul will spend an eternity in hell."

"I'm already in hell." She muttered, eyes wandering around the room. Books - all religious - filled the shelves. Pure moonlight filtered in through the large windows. Winn didn't feel so bad about blood splattering the cream carpet beneath her.

He frowned at her, a deep frown that showed that level of betrayal and disappointment in her he felt. "I can't believe you're working with them."

She rewarded him with a sardonic smile, "Believe me that's about the last thing I want to do. But I need one of those vampires to help me get the one who murdered my parents."

"You could've stayed with us Winn. We would've achieved it all. With them you won't get anything other than pain." He was still insistent on his dream.

Winn knew she should get on with it, stop this conversation right in its track and get to the crux of the matter. But she didn't. Sighing she leaned back against the desk, looking down at Newlin. "Didn't you ever wonder why it was so easy to capture a vampire? That he put up no fight at all? For one moment, didn't you ever wonder, if there was an ulterior motive from him?" Winn was asking it to the Reverend, but in truth it was simply her thoughts out loud.

They had 'saved' Godric. But he had shown he didn't need saving at all. He was powerful enough to control a legion of vampires, which was terrifying in itself. He must be Ancient. So why was it he had gone so easily with the Fellowship of the Sun members? Surely it wasn't to get any intel - they had been divided and conquered so easily, it would be obvious to anyone that the posed no threat. It drew her thoughts to another point. He hadn't been angry with the Fellowship members. Not at all. Every other vampire had been ready to spill blood on the church floor without hesitation. Not just that, but they were wound tight with excitement in preparation. So why wasn't he angry over being captured and held in a basement?

Before Steve could formulate a reply she asked another question, "Did he know you were going to kill him?"

Newlin sighed. "Can't I go and get some wipes to clean up my face?"

"When you answer the question I'll go to the bathroom and get a towel." She replied.

He shifted in his seat, before answering with thinly hidden smugness. "He sure did. We were gonna string the beast of Satan up on the cross and wait for the sunrise. That demon must've been terrified to meet his fate."

Winn felt the breath leave her. She found no relief in his words, only horror at how barbaric and archaic the thought was. She knew Godric was a vampire, and he deserved no sympathy - but a death like that? What was with her species and their obsession with ancient torture devices? Her jaw tightened as frustration surged within her. She had to stop placing human emotions and expression onto vampires. They weren't human. Winn shouldn't care at all how they decided to murder a vampire.

Finally she regained her senses, " . . . so you he knew you going to murder him? And he came with you anyway . . . ?"

There was a beats pause before Newlins eyes widened in understand, "No! You think he came with us _willingly?_ Oh my Lord."

She shrugged, not answering her question. It was a question she couldn't verify but she had her suspicions. The why, however, remained a mystery. Her eyes flickered back to Newlin and a new realisation dawned on her. His reaction was too innocent. He knew - he knew the whole time that Godric was coming to the Fellowship. So he had offered himself to them. Godric had come to _them._ This was becoming a mystery she didn't understand. Vampires tried to survive and conquer at all costs. Not commit suicide. Who was Godric?

Winn rose and began to the door in the office, "Don't try to get out of here, I'll just shoot you." She went into the bathroom and yanked a hand towel from its rack before coming back and tossing the towel at him. Immediately he began scrubbing at the paint on his face.

"I could help you, you know, to kill that vampire you're lookin' for. We got all the resources you don't."

She bit her lip and stared at him for a moment. "Steve, the demons we're fighting are stronger and faster than us. You lost your element of surprise if you ever had it at all. But I haven't lost mine. When I kill that creature I am going to strike with precision and end it."

"You just said so yourself, the monsters of hell are stronger and faster. So what are you gon' do, Winn? Try and shoot it?"

"Be smarter. You should've just bombed it. I know you wouldn't have gotten the emotional satisfaction you were looking for, but it would have been done. Now . . . now you're finished."

Newlin shook his head. "The Lord kept me alive for a reason, and I intend to carry out His plan for those demons who crawled out from the depths of hell."

Winn sighed. The pain was becoming unbearable as the adrenaline left her system and exhaustion was setting in. She needed to speed things along. "Steve, the real reason I'm here has nothing to do with vampires. What I need to know concerns this." She said, pushing the documents towards him.

Opening up the envelope his eyes skimmed through the papers. "Yeah, so what's this about? We get a lot of donations. And we spend a lot of money. I mean, have you seen those windows that let the light in? Really, that money was all worth it to see how everything gets illuminated in Gods divine light when the sun rises."

"Right, but you committed a crime." She pointed out.

Steve leaned back in his seat and looked at her with a expressive disbelief. "Oh, now accepting charity is a crime, is it?"

"It was a charitable donation, Steven. That means that if - or in your case - when, you used the money for your own means, you were committing a very serious white collar crime. Do you know what that means?"

"Of course I know what that means." He snapped. "I'm not a child."

"Right."

"Look he gave me the money, it was mine to use as I wished." He whined.

"Steve. It was a transaction placed under a charitable donation to build the church and create more programmes for the youth. Nowhere does it say you could use it for personal gain."

"But he told me it was all for me!"

"To blackmail you once you committed embezzlement - which you already have. I guess he would bait you with avoiding tipping off the police, in exchange for . . . what?"

"Look I don't know, alright. I don't even know what you're talking about."

She exhaled long and loud. "Alright. Well, then I'm asking you to give me all the information you have on your dear friend with a lot of money."

"I mean I don't know; he wanted me to give him that vampire I had locked in the basement. Of course I told him he was mine. He was insistent so I promised to get another one - but he hasn't replied."

Her hands curled around the edges of the table as she leaned forwards, " _All_ the information, Steve. Phone numbers, account, addresses - whatever you have."

"And what will I get out of it?" he asked, readjusting his tie. But this wasn't a business deal and his obnoxious confidence was misplaced. "This information seems very important to you." He added, as if understanding this point gave him leverage - leverage he didn't have.

Newlin swallowed as the cool barrel of the gun was placed against his forehead. "You'll get to keep your life." She said. He wanted to play the game of leverage? She was an expert.

Trembling he looked up at her, "But Godric said there wouldn't be any bloodshed."

"An order he gave to vampires. I'm no vampire."

"Oh, fine. Will you leave me alone after?" He mumbled.

"Not a problem; believe me."

She left the church soon after with a manila envelope stuffed with papers, gun nestled snuggly back in its holster. To her surprise there was a black sedan parked outside with Eric leaning against the front door, arms crossed. "Well it's a good thing Newlin doesn't know your only weapon is a convincing tone."

Her shoulder was pulsing and her head was throbbing in pain. The exhaustion clouded her mind and she barely comprehended his words about having a supernatural sense of hearing. Judging by his return to his cool demeanour, he must have tuned out after Winn threatened the Reverend. She wasn't going to be the one filling him in on their conversation concerning Godric. That was between the two vampires to sort out.

As she moved towards the car she saw him raise his arm and bite into his wrist. Panic struck and she took several steps back, hand on her weapon. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Healing you."

Her voice was a breath of hysteria. "You won't touch me."

"And have you seen your current state?"

"It's just a scratch. Stay away from me."

His lip quirked. Or maybe she was imaging it. Sighing he lowered his arm. "Relax before you give yourself a heart attack. Get in there car."

"Where are we going?" Her voice as marred with suspicion.

"Winifred, get in the car." He repeated.

But she didn't budge. He took several steps forwards and she took several back until he disappeared in front of her. A hand enclosed around her bicep causing her to jump in shock, whipping her head back she saw Eric was behind her. "Personally, I would have left you to walk home. But I've been told to make sure you make it out of here. Now either beginning moving or I will force you. The choice is yours."

"I don't want to hear your constant threats whenever I don't do things according to your way." Her words had no bite to them as her voice was trembling with pain.

"And I tire of your fear towards me. Now get in. We're going to Godrics nest."

She scrunched her nose as she imagined a dank basement, "I'm not looking to get pneumonia too."

His hand went to her lower back and forced her towards the car, despite her digging in her heels. "Honestly, Winifred. Have you been listening to nothing I've been teaching you? Vampires are centuries more civilised then you - we don't enjoy living in squalor. You've seen the house already. And don't insult my maker like that again."

She was so shocked by his words that he got her into the front seat easily, shutting the door behind her. Godric was Eric's maker? Was master and maker the same thing, or was there a difference?

Eventually she managed to close her eyes. The ride to the nest was one taken in silence. Eric was never the speaking type - at least not to her - and likewise she had nothing to say to him. Though that wasn't true. She had a lot to say to him. Including his stupidity for going into the Fellowship with emotion as his weapon and no plan. Winn could have told him it was a terrible idea. One he nearly died over. But she wasn't looking to get her throat ripped down the middle by a pair of fangs. At least not tonight. The street lights illuminated the two of them in flashes as they sped down the road.

"You're a shit fighter, but you held your own." He remarked, breaking the long held silence. Winn decided it was a compliment.

Their drive took them well around forty-five minutes and into the nice suburb of Dallas. The house from the outside looked as nice as she remembered. But finding out it was a vampires nest gave it a much colder feel. How could she have been so stupid as to not even think about it before? As another shot of pain rippled through her, she looked down at the giant wound that was still pulsing with blood. It was soaking through her shirt. Uncharacteristically gentleman-like, Eric opened the door for her and she slid out.

"I'm not going in there." She stated.

He raised a brow, "And why not?"

"There's vampires in there."

His expression grew sardonic and voice filled with mock praise, "Well look at you."

"Yes I know you're impressed with my observation skills. Look, I'm not going in there like this."

"Should've taken my offer to heal you." He drawled.

"Heal?"

"My blood."

In response her eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "Your blood can heal?"

"Our blood. Yes."

"Really?" She breathed.

"No." He replied, looking bored with the conversation. And yet, there seemed to be an undercurrent of relaxation running through him. She wondered if it had to do with being reunited with his maker.

Winn looked confused now.

Eric sighed deeply. " _Yes."_

He just stared at her. After a long drawn out silence, he said, "Well, enjoy your night staring at the pavement, then."

Winn watched him go inside the house. Something in his movement had changed. All through their Dallas trip he had been wound tighter than a lion about to spring. Now he walked with a swagger. From the large windows she saw there was a dwindling line of people, and it went all the way to Godric. Shaking her head slowly, she wondered how she had missed the signs of who he really was. Groaning, she sat down at the edge of a stone ledge. Branches from the bush behind her poked her back sharply. Still, the pain was nothing in comparison to the pain emanating from her shoulder or the building pressure at the base of her skull.

The clouds drifted lazily over the moon. Muted classical music played inside and vampires milled about, chatting to one another. From an outsiders perspective, it was a very human get-together. From out here there was nothing alarming. Winn looked curiously as she saw some of the leeches introducing other ones, as if they were incapable of speaking for themselves.

It was only after a long period of observation through fluttering eyelids as exhaustion tugged at her did she realise humans were there too. It was the vampires, elegant and precise in their movements, who were introducing humans, awkward-moving in comparison, to other vampires. It was sick. Winn looked down at the ground, determined to gather her emotions. Her thoughts circled back to the vampire Godric.

And then the horror began dawning on her. She had instructed - no, commanded, an Ancient. He had seemed alright with it, amused even. Now she wondered if that had just been a guise to hide his underlying fury. Had she unwittingly gone into a situation of cat and mouse? Would the night end up with her being mauled? Winn licked her lips nervously. She had to do something about the situation, a desperate attempt to remedy it. Perhaps if she apologised then he might pity her enough to let her escape. Her eyes flickered towards the door. That would mean that she would have to go into the nest looking like this. With all the blood. She was a walking meal, begging to be drained. Going into a vampires nest like this was provocative and she stood little chance if they attacked her. But if she didn't try to smooth out the events of tonight she was begging to be drained anyway.

With a pounding heart she stood up and stared at the door. Taking a deep breath, she began towards it.


	5. You Don't Know Me

Taking a deep breath she entered the house. Every vampires head whipped towards her, lips parting as they inhaled deeply. There was a split seconds pause and several eyes flickered towards the Sheriff of Dallas before they took a step back. As she moved towards the Sheriff, the vampires quietened and moved out of her way as if she were blazing a trail of fire down her path. Everything in her body was screaming at her to turn around and limp out as fast as she could and not stop until she was far, far away.

Instead she straightened herself and pulled back her shoulder, attempting to hide her wince. She saw Godric sitting down, hands on his knees. Not once did he blink as she limped towards him, trying with all her might to hold herself together. It was unnerving the way he regarded her in silence. She stopped a few feet from him. His eyes had gone from feral darkness to gentle blue brimming with intelligence.

Winn decided she would be the first to speak. "I guess I committed a bit of a faux pas back there." She admitted. In truth Winn knew Godric held an unparalleled importance to pain-in-the-ass Norse vampire, but she had not made the connection. She hadn't even made the connection of his importance to the entire community, or his raw power. Yelling at an Ancient was not in her best interest.

"You did not know." He answered finally.

Leech rituals were beyond her so she bowed her head slightly, awkwardly still clutching her shoulder. "Still, I apologise."

"It should be I who apologise to you." He replied quietly. There was a small wave of murmurs behind her as if Godrics words were a surprise.

The hair on the back of her neck rose as she felt every leech's eyes boring into her back. Dozens of eyes trained on her bloody mangled body. Were their fangs out? Were they waiting for the signal that dinner had arrived? Why were they all deathly quiet?

The Sheriff spoke again, "You came to save me at the behest of my Son, you held your own as a warrior inside their church, and you became injured in the process of trying to save Ms. Stackhouse. Yet your injuries have not yet been attended too; I apologise." He stood up in a fluid motion and motioned with his hand towards a hallway. "Come."

As she looked behind her she saw the leeches quickly look away. As if broken from some trance they began to move into all corners of the room again and the conversation picked up. Through the sea of bodies she could make out the door and fear clawed at her as her feet took her further into the house. Shoulder lowering in resignation she hesitantly followed him. There was nothing else she could do.

The music became muted the further away they got. Everything was surprisingly modern. They passed another hallway, this one surrounded by large glass panels. On both sides she could see brilliant gardens that looked like it had sprung to life from a fairytale. Unaware she had stopped, her eyes peered outside. Finally they focused on her reflection and she inhaled a sharp breath at the site of herself.

Sookies reaction had made sense now. Blood had blossomed on the grey shirt; growing from the point of entry all the way to her ribs. Half of her hair was matted with blood and the other half looked like a birds nest. But it was her face that kept her gaze focused the longest. Her lips were swollen with the bottom split in half, her right eye was swollen shut and another dark purple bruise was blooming across her cheek. A trickle of now dried blood had found its way from her temple to her jaw. Was that even hers?

Ripping her gaze away she continued down the hallway to see the Sheriff waiting with hands interlaced. "You do look like you've been dragged through hell." He regarded.

"Just through a church - semantics." She replied and was met with a faint tug of his lips.

Following behind him she was lead into another living room. Hesitating at the door she watched him stroll inside. The floor was covered in beautiful Oriental rugs that while looking well taken care off, were ancient. The mere thought of blood on the carpet made her feel guilty. "Come in."

"The blood." She answered.

He did not ask again and reluctantly she took a step inside.

Motioning towards the chair he gave a gentle command. "Sit."

Obedience had been hard-drilled into her in the military, but he was no authority in her world. Defiance burned within her veins. But this wasn't any normal situation, and she was being asked by a being with unparalleled strength.

Diplomatic tact won out and soon enough she sank onto the designer chair. If she had to venture a guess she would say from the 18th century.

"I am disappointed my Son has not offered you his blood. I would have believed him to find you worthy." He said as he opened up a medical kit.

"He did offer me." She replied before changing the subject, "A human med kit. Do you have humans here often?"

"Besides the ones hired by and for my underlings, no. Though I do like to keep prepared in both situations having to do with both species and it appears to have come in handy now." He took out gauze and other supplies, setting it on the oak coffee table. "If I may understand you better, why did you reject the offering? Many humans are desperate for our blood that they may never come to taste. Yet you have been offered it while sustaining grave injuries and deny it?"

She was nearly taken aback by his dark curious gaze. Surely he had come across other humans rejecting blood before, it couldn't be that uncommon. "They're survivable." She answered.

"More the reason to take the blood." He countered. "If you would not mind removing your shirt so I can attend to your injuries better?"

Her lips pressed together at the order. Of course she had been stripped near-naked many times before in front of men - the medical doctors - both before and after her injury. But they were trained professionals. There was a near apathetic objectiveness about all the poking and prodding.

Being here in a dimly lit room with a vampire who most certainly did not have a license felt uncomfortably intimidate. As she looked at him kneeling on the floor, on hand holding paper and the other with disinfectant she tugged at the bottom of her shirt. "I don't need to give you any reasons and I think I'll be fine."

He responded with a small nod. "I did not mean to upset you with my curiosity. It has just been some time since a human has surprised me . . . Ms. Vik, if you refuse to take blood I must insist the least I do is disinfect your wounds." His words held a hint of promise in them. _If I don't disinfect this you know what will happen._

She had seen what happened before many times. With a defeated sigh she struggled to remove the henley with her functioning hand. Biting back a cry, her hand skimmed the injury as she peeled the shirt from the wound. For a moment she closed her eyes as she pain blasted through her body and made black dots swarm at the corners of her eyes. Gritting her teeth she moved around in the seat, determined to remove the shirt.

As she struggled to remove it from her one arm she felt it being delicately pulled off by the vampire himself who deftly deposited it on the floor. It was only now it had become acutely aware for her that she was bloody prey, more-so than before.

"I promise you, I will not harm you." He said in response to her muscles tensing. While the tips of his right hand were coated in a light sheen of her blood from the shirt, he didn't even seem to notice as gentle eyes gazed upon her.

She licked her lips nervously. "And the other l- vampires in the house?"

"You are under my protection." He doused the paper in the alcohol.

Her eyes narrowed, "So percentage?"

Eyes flickering up to hers she saw the hint of confusion, "Sorry?"

"Your protection wasn't a guarantee, you just said so yourself; I want to know my likelihood of making it out of here unattacked."

His face grew serious and eyes dark, "Anyone foolish enough to attempt to harm you will receive an apt punishment."

It still wasn't the answer she was looking for. How strange, that he seemed to indicate that he would protect her. She remained silent as he came closer. He had given no sign he was going to kill her, but her survival instinct told her she was now becoming trapped in the chair, and instinct wanted to pushing her rapidly out of the chair and run away. Her trembling hand reached out for the paper. "I can do it."

He stared at her for a moment, eyes flickering between hers as if trying to read her thoughts. Then he gave a short nod and handed her the paper. Careful not to touch him she deftly plucked the cloth from his hand. Pressing her lips together in a tight line she pressed it to her wound.

As soon as the disinfectant made contact with the wound she bared her teeth in pain and hissed, turning her head to the side. The liquid seeped in, spreading a venomous pain as it ate away at all potentially deadly bacteria. Tears sprang in her eyes. She hated the silence and she hated the way her face contorted in pain. So through gritted teeth she tried to keep the focus away from her shoulder, "Why does it surprise you? I don't trust your kind."

"Yet you still accompanied Eric all the way to Dallas and conversed with Isabel and Stan on penetrating the church's defences." He said gently as he looked intently at her.

"To save Sookie."

"And when did your focus change to me?" His voice was soft as the cool nights breeze.

She had no answer. When had she begun to focus on him? Why had she focused on him at all? Was it because her duty dictated her to help civilians? That was wrong, he was no civilian. Was it because he had an aura of innocence about him? She knew better than that. A lot better than that. The act he put on of being lost was just that - an act. He had been ready to kill a man with little thought. What were the chances he was going to kill her with little thought if he was so inclined?

His head whipped to the door, hearing something she couldn't. "Wait here." He ordered.

The light gust of air was the only sign he had been there a millisecond before. Winn swallowed. Their speed was a terrible reminder of the power they held. With a heavy sigh her head dropped, glad she wouldn't have to answer his question.

After a few seconds of waiting she decided to finish the bandaging. It turned into a sloppy mess but it wasn't going to fall off within the next few hours. She realised she had made a mistake letting the vampire help her, he had been too close to her, too intimate. He could have ripped her throat out with his teeth without having to change his position. The pain was blinding her from rationality.

She looked at the books running along the bookshelf and realised she needed a distraction from the throbbing pain in her shoulder that pulsed periodically as the ghost of the knife continued to tear into her. Quickly wiping her blood hand on pant leg she reached up for a book. She took the first one within her reach, standing on tip-toes to reach it.

Opening it up her jaw dropped in awe. It was the Diamond Sutra, and one in pristine condition. She blinked several times, making sure what she was looking at was correct. She wiped her hands on her pants again before making sure no blood would stain the precious pages.

After a few moments she sank down onto the edge of the desk as she flipped another page. While she didn't understand a word of it, it was awe-inspiring to be one of the few people left in the world who got to hold and read an original. Finger tracing the foreign words on the page of a written language long forgotten, she wondered about the books history. How had it ended up in Godrics possession? What would have happened to this book if the Fellowship had managed to kill him?

There was a gentle knock on the door and her head snapped up to see Godric. Immediately she stood up.

"Why did you go with them?" She asked as he came back.

In his hand was a long, dark shirt. He draped it over the chair she had been sitting at. "You can wear this for the time before." He looked up at her as she asked the question, "And what has brought you to this assumption?"

"You can control a room of vampires, and made all the Fellowship members lose their will to fight in five seconds - there's no reason they should have been able to overpower you. I know it was you who knocked out all of those members on the floor I was on. And Newlin already knew about your decision. Why would someone like you go with them willingly?"

He expression was same expression he wore when they spoke in the church. It was one of pleasantly curiosity and gentle amusement. "Someone like me?"

She pursed her lips, unamused. "Someone who's so powerful."

He was about to answer when he reconsidered. Godric sat down on the seat she had previously been in. He folded his hands together. "I was hoping to reconsolidate the relationship between human and vampire; perhaps my sacrifice would lessen the threat you see to our kind."

His eyes had drifted upon his confession but immediately snapped up to look at her as she snorted. He believed he was so important that his sacrifice would somehow mend the relationship between human and vampires - the ones vampires had created in the first place? Did he believe that any human even knew who he was? His self-inflated sense of grandeur was terrifying. He was Ancient and he was delusional. Still, the words she should have kept to herself slipped out, "You are an idiot."

"I am an idiot." He repeated slowly, seeming to be bemused at her reaction. It was as if no one had said such a thing to him and was trying to decipher the meaning behind her sentence.

"I was going to tour in Helmand. And let me tell you if I decided to hand myself over to one of the several militias in the area I would have been raped six ways to sunday and then probably been tortured before being murdered. It would have been hailed as a victory, not as a way to solve the war."

She didn't see the brief flash of anger that flashed in his eyes. His tone was level, "I do not mean to cause offence, but I am more powerful than you."

"Did the Fellowship know that? I bet they knew nothing more than your name. They don't even know how the vampire community works. None of us do."

Godric stood up. It was the first time she had seen him intently curious, "I admit that did not cross my mind . . . you are correct Ms. Vik. Bridging the gap between our kinds cannot be done without understanding, and that is what I have failed to see. I do not think like a vampire anymore." He admitted. His words made little sense to her.

Something inside of her twisted in displeasure at his confession. "For someone willing to sacrifice himself in our name, you sure don't know a lot about us."

He was gazing at her with an expression she didn't understand. "It seems I have much to learn still." Her eyes flickered elsewhere, unprepared for the intensity in his expression. He spoke again, "the book, is it of interest to you?"

Eyes flickering down she realised she was still holding it. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take it off the shelf. I hadn't realised what it was."

He didn't sound disgusted that a human was touching it. He sounded interested. "You know of it, then?"

"Of course, it's the main book that influenced all of Zen Buddhism. I can't believe you have the original manuscript. The only one other known copy that survived."

The ghost of a smile appeared on his lips and he took a step forwards. "You are interested in history."

"Nothing that has happened to us hasn't been done before. It's just about knowing history to see the patterns and all their causes; sure the variants change but the foundation remains the same." Then she blushed at her babbling and was mortified at her own reaction. She had nothing to be ashamed about, especially in front of a vampire. Her emotions were not compatible with a being like him.

But he didn't ridicule her, or rip her head off. Instead he pulled the shirt with him. It was only now she realised she was still in her soiled training bra and holding the book in her hand. Setting it down she took the shirt from him, still maintaining her distance.

"An astute observation." He remarked.

Winn struggled to put the shirt over her head and felt distinctly uncomfortable at having her sight gone as the shirt went half-way over her head. Maybe if she kept the vampire talking he wouldn't use this moment as one to attack. "Isn't that something everyone says? You have to read history to prevent it from repeating itself?" She was struggling with the tangled shirt now.

The shirt was pulled down in one swift movement by hands not her own. She blinked. Godric was standing right in front of her now. With the way the dark tunic ended just above her knees it had to be one of his own she was wearing. His eyes flickered up and down her form. He seemed almost . . . appreciative.

"Yet none seem to know what exactly they are preventing. The act itself or the influencers leading towards it?" He questioned softly. This close she could see the darker flecks of blue in his eyes, and the way his dark lashes swept against his cheeks. There was such a subtle smell of something akin to spices she unconsciously leaned forwards. He wasn't like any type of vampire she had come across before. He was thoughtful. Perceptive. There was a calm to him that made her breath steadier. Before she could stop herself she was asking, "why are you different?"

He bowed his head briefly. "I have lived a long time."

The answer wasn't satisfying. Eric was old, older than she could imagine. He was nothing like his maker. "How long?" That was the question, how long until vampires became like him. Did they ever? She couldn't understand the boy, or man, in front of her. Staring at him too long was as painful as trying to solve an enigma. He had the body of someone in his late teens just nearing twenty. Yet his mannerisms, the way he spoke, and a knowing look that glinted in his eyes crafted from years of expierence told her of the difference in age. It was jarring.

"Two-thousand years." He answered.

Her head tilted slightly to the side trying to decipher if he spoke the truth. Just like Eric his expression remained serious. The vampire was telling the absolute truth and she felt a surprised gust of air leave her. Standing right in front of her was living history. He had been there for the rise and decline of the Roman Empire. He had been there as bloody wars were fought and amended. He had been there as the world took a turn from contained, national interests to imperial international ones. He had seen the very world they lived in unfold. He had seen every type of revolution there had ever been - he had lived in them. He had seen languages fracture and evolve, had seen religions been born and others disappear. It was the vampire in front of her who could confirm and deny events of history.

"You cannot comprehend it." He said finally, breaking the silence that had ensued as she had stared at him.

"No." She breathed. For a moment she wholly forgot he was a vampire as the itch to assault him with questions bubbled up inside of her.

"Did you have trouble understanding when Eric told you how old he was?" He asked.

The question caught her off guard, and she didn't think of what he was asking, of how he could know. Questions that caught her off guard were always answered with the most honesty. "I never thought about it. There were other things to concern myself with." Then she paused and thought a little longer, "I guess the times of the vikings until the modern period just seems like an easier transition. Everything you've lived through- that's - it's amazing. But also unimaginable."

"Time moves as the great rivers do. You can choose to fight the current and follow its eternal course." Godric offered her a smile small, and she nearly reciprocated it. "Should we head back to the party?"

She blinked harshly, as if snapping out of a trance. Right, she was at a party with vampires. And she was still bleeding. And she had just conversed with a vampire. Not just that, but she had forgotten everything else when she spoke to him. "Yeah, yeah we should." Her voice was rough.

They walked in silence for a while until she began hearing the muted party again. Shadows flickered on the wall from the fireplace ahead. Then she thought of something concerning earlier in the night. She didn't want him to think he had committed some heroic deed, or that she owed him anything. It wasn't the first time she had dealt with bad people. "I was going to shoot him." She said.

"I know." He didn't ask her to elaborate further. "But that does not mean you should have too."

Winn looked at him in surprise. They entered the outskirt of the party. Godric didn't wade into the crowd, and neither did Winn. Some of the vampires looked at her briefly in surprise. In a far corner she caught Isabel, who was staring at them with the corners of her lips begin to grow upwards in some form of understanding.

Just then her eyes trained onto a man walking in. Immediately she knew there was something off about him, something a little too tense. Wearing a jacket in this heat, why would he need that? Then he pushed another human away, who was staring at Mr. Jacket in alarm. Clearly they knew one another.

Mr. Jacket spoke. "Excuse me everyone. If I could have your attention."

Her body tensed on instinct as understanding hit her as she stared at his bloated body. Undoubtedly he was wearing a carrying explosive devices - oh christ he was a suicide bomber, in perfect radius to kill roughly fifteen people.

Her voice was low but sharp as a whip, thinly calloused fingers grabbing onto Godrics wrist to get his attention. "Suicide bomber." Her eyes didn't stray from the intruder.

Mr. Jackets thumb began to descend onto the trigger and without thinking she stepped forwards to protect the man besides her. Mr. Jacket pressed the trigger.

* * *

 **Any reviews I kindly receive will be rewarded with a llama in 80s work-out spandex being airdropped to your location by yours truly. attire of the llama can be negotiated. xo**


	6. You're Gonna Change or I'm Gonna Leave

Thank-you thank-you for all the favourites, follows, and reviews!

* this is still the same chapter 6. I'm not re-uploading this in an attempt to boost my story. Fanfiction had a technical error and readers (not sure how many) haven't gotten a notification so I thought I'd reupload this and see how that works. Sorry for anyone who thought this was already a new chapter ;)

* * *

Her body was yanked backwards and onto the ground with force. Her head banged against the floor with a thud. A wailing shriek was building in her ears, far surpassing the tinnitus. Blinking hastily she tried to get her eyes to refocus. Her lips moved to form a name in surprise as she saw someone on top of her, as if shielding her from the blast. It was only a set of blue eyes looking at her with an unnerving amount of awe that shined through the hazy smoke.

But that couldn't be possible, she had moved in front of the vampire first - hadn't she? When she blinked again he was gone. She must have imagined him. Thinking about the fact that her first instinct had been to protect a vampire, her hand curled into a fist. What was wrong with her?

Her tongue tasted the thick metallic smoke. It seeped into her throat and coiled around her windpipe like a snake; she gave a hacking cough in response, spittle went flying. Groaning she hauled herself over to the wall, leaning against it as her eyes strained to look through the smoky haze that stung her eyes.

Godric stood some ways from her, looking around the room. His expression was one she couldn't quite interpret. It was one of resignation, and something else she couldn't discern.

A bloodied human lay next to the couch, unbreathing. There was another couple. She recognised the human from earlier in the evening. The vampire male was huddled over the unmoving human, cradling her in his arms. He ripped open his wrist with bared fangs and pressed it to her lips. _Healing._ That's what Eric had said, that their blood could heal. Isabel knelt down besides them, face sympathetic. She shook her head. The human was dead. The male hissed in response, flashing fangs at Isabel.

Isabel was unperturbed and gently stood up, allowing them to have their last moment. After a moment he closed her eyes and hung his head. Winn looked away, feeling like an intruder. The vampire was mourning. Then she realised: the vampire was _mourning._

Before she had time to process the significance of it her body spasmed in pain.

As Winn's body gave way to a hacking cough Godric's head whipped towards her. He flashed in front of her and knelt down. As she opened her mouth to speak she coughed again. The smoke was smothering. Before she could protest he scooped her up as if she weighed nothing at all and cradled her to him. With one hand protecting her neck from whiplash he sped out into the front garden.

With added gentleness he lowered, but didn't release her from his hold. His expression had become detached and eyes cool. Looking into his eyes was like looking through a sheen of ice. Just beneath the surface she could see an array of emotions all intertwined and bubbling upwards.

She turned her head to the side, giving way to another hacking cough that shook her body. The second the last shaky gust of air left her lungs his thumb and forefinger held only her chin, forcing her to look at him. It was a gentle but firm touch. Semi-dazed, she was helpless to comply.

Head still spinning from the explosion she grabbed onto his outstretched arm for leverage. His eyes flickered down for a split second. Through his shirt she could feel cool muscles, it was the type of cool that comes after a long night, just before the break of day.

"You placed yourself in harms way to save me." Then his eyes wandered elsewhere, up to the full moon half-hidden behind dark clouds. "Two thousand years . . ." He muttered.

His incredulity filled gaze slid back to Winn, "A human, protecting me."

 _I know._ She wanted to say. But her throat had closed up.

Whatever intense expression he wore melted away to reveal disappointment. "That was incredibly reckless."

 _I know._

"Why would you do that?"

 _I don't know._

"I am stronger than you. That explosion could have stolen your life." Was he scolding her?

Winn finally found her voice. The words came out, trembling. "I don't need to be reminded of the strength your kind has. I've seen it."

Godrics face softened. "That is not what I meant."

Winn became acutely aware now over the fact he was still holding onto her. And she to him. She yanked her hand back.

"Let go off me." She whispered.

Instantly he jerked his hand back like he had burned her and his eyes widened a fraction, shocked by his own actions. "Are you hurt?"

She nearly laughed. Had he looked at her? "Well, I mean-"

"By my own hands?" His words had dipped to a whisper. Godric was acting as if he had entirely forgotten his own strength, so intently focused on this revelation of his.

"No." She replied. But she couldn't hide her own surprise at his expression. He seemed alarmed at his own reaction. He seemed guilty. Winn didn't know why. His grip had been inescapable, yes. But it wasn't painful. Eric had already bruised her several times over with his strength. Godric hadn't hurt her.

"Godric." Isabel called out.

He seemed torn between his duty and staying with the injured human in front of him. After a moment his eyes hardened. "Wait here." He commanded, giving her one last glance before he strode over to his partner.

Always with the commands. Winn didn't do commands. Usually. The two vampires spoke to the side. She was getting tired of all of this. Her eyes began fluttering shut. She was just getting tired, period. Neighbours were coming out onto the streets and huddled around each other, pointing and whispering about the den with looks of shock and horror etched onto their faces. Dark plumes of smoke wafted up, obscuring the moon.

The next events were a flurry of emotion around her. Winn listened to directions and followed the flow like a zombie.

They made it to Hotel Carmila, the place Eric had wanted her to stay the first place. But it didn't register until she stood in front of a room with Eric. Godric and Isabel had disappeared.

Now she was in a hotel. Surrounded by vampires. And she was severely injured. All she could do was follow Eric inside as the hairs on her neck raised.

Eric made a grand gesture with his hand. The hotel had two bedrooms in it. And he was expecting her to stay in the other.

Her room was in connected to Eric Northmens. "Is this a joke?" She asked.

His eyes flickered up and down her beaten form. "Considering your current state, I think you'll find it much safer to be protected by the two strongest vampires in this entire shit state. Or, you can wander the hallways until tomorrow night and take your chances alone."

She was between a rock and a hard place and he knew it. It was either stay here bloody with two vampires she barely knew, or wander the hallways and run into vampires she didn't know at all. She hoisted up her back and went into the second room in silence, closing the door after her and flipping the lock. Winn waited a long minute, listening intently to whether Eric was still there. But she heard nothing. Closing her eyes she inhaled deeply. The debris from the explosion felt like it was lodged in her throat.

Despite in the back of her mind knowing it was pointless, she found herself locking the bathroom door for good measure. There was a long beats silence, and then her body shuddered.

Using the wall for leverage she slid down it and bit back a sob. It was no use. She placed a hand to her mouth to silence the sobs as best she could. Two humans had died tonight. Two humans had died because of _her._

Steve Newlin would never have thought of using a suicide bomber if it wasn't her who had suggested explosives in the first place. It was her who had fed him the suggestion. Yes, it meant that Stan was now gone - as he should be. But at the expense of innocent lives? That wasn't what she stood for. Their deaths were blood on her hands. Winn didn't believe that collateral damage was ever an acceptable thing to do. And yet she had just caused it. Newlin wasn't to blame.

He was an emotional mess, a turncoat, and not very intelligent. He was everything his wife wasn't. But he had acted off of her words. The very words she had fed to him, an accidental manipulation that had caused an entire house to fall apart. But had it been accidental? Wasn't that what she had wanted at the most basic level of desire? To see Stan dead? Was this the cost she was prepared to accept in order to make that happen?

Surely she was no better than than every vampire, prepared to accept collateral damage just to make her point. How could she accuse others of being a monster when she was just as bad, if not worse. Because she was worse, in being a hypocrite. Her parents had died because of her, and now two other humans had.

She wiped her tears away with one hand, hastily rubbing at her cheeks. Winn ran a hand through her hair trying to gather it together as best as she could, but the now dried strands were tough as twigs.

The blood from her hands swirled down the drown, changing from blood red to a pale pink until it appeared as if nothing had appeared there at all. Gingerly she wiped away the worst of the dust on her pants and henly. When she was finished she was surrounded by the dark dust coating the floor like a thin layer of grimy snow. There was a knock on the door, and Eric spoke "Come on, we have an appointment to go too."

Her brows drew together in confusion. Appointment? Glancing quickly in the mirror she saw her eyes were unfortunately still red rimmed. Opening it he seemed to blink in surprise at her state before his face smoothed over. "What appointment?" She asked, voice raw.

"The Authority. They want to know why several vampires were blown up in the most important nest in the state." He explained.

"Oh." Was all she could say. Winn tried wracking her brains for who the authority was he was referring too. The American government - the army, maybe? Part of the judicial branch? If she asked, Eric he would tell her she was an idiot. And still wouldn't explain it to her. Either way she was coming along for this appointment.

Outside the hotel door Godric was waiting with Isabel. He seemed first startled and then upset by her appearance. She thought it had been less obvious she had been crying, but apparently not so. Though why this effected him she wasn't sure. Perhaps the site of emotional humans was displeasing.

They walked in silence through the corridors. Only one vampire came down the hallway, and when his eyes saw Godric and Eric he turned the other way and scuttled out. Winns eyes flickered to the both of them. Either they hadn't noticed the scared vampire or they held completely apathy towards him. Were they really that powerful? Was it just something others sensed? Was it instinctual? As always, spending time with vampires presented her with more questions than answers.

In the room Sookie and Bill were already seated. Sookie threw her a smile. Winn gravitated towards the half-human, relieved to find a familiar face that wasn't a vampire.

Sat on various sofas and chairs were Nan Flannigan, which came as a surprise to Winn. She didn't know why the PR guru was there. Eric was on the other side of the room and both Isabel and Godric sat together on the couch. Behind Nan sat what Winn assumed was two of her employees, faces stoic and hands behind their backs.

Without further ado Flannigan promptly tore into them like a rabid badger.

And then Winn was staring hard at Godric. Sookie had leapt in to his defence, had told the vampires in that room had Godric had saved her from getting raped. He had done something for a human when he didn't need to interfere at all. He had saved her. Winn couldn't stop staring at him then, trying to comprehend.

Ice flooded her veins when Sookie explained the situation. That's why she had screamed earlier. Winn would've been too late. _I'm sorry_ she wanted to cry out.

Slowly the tension in the room began decreasing. The conversation moved towards Godric himself and the motives of the church.

"They would have taken one of us sooner or later; I offered myself." Godric said. Either they froze or their heads whipped up to stare at the Ancient in response to his confession. She noticed his eyes flickered to hers briefly when she gave a brief nod in affirmation. It seemed she was the only one who had figured it out, then.

The talks devolved from there and Winn watched as Eric lost it on Nan, to quickly be put in his place. So there had been a time when neither Eric nor Godric had been part of a bureaucratic order. Had the Authority, clearly the government for vampires, always existed? When had the two Nordic vampires decided to become a part of it?

As the conversation died down and Godric resigned from position as Sheriff of Dallas. Even Eric looked shocked, but relieved when Godric had announced that he would accompany his progeny back to the state of Louisiana for the time being.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Sookie, her brother Jason, Eric and Godric were gathered to go back to Shreveport before the sun came up. Bill apparently had other matters to attend to. Winn had tuned out the second the information was no longer important. They arrived with their bags, all looking tired with the exception of the two immortals.

While it was true they were travelling on a private jet, Winn wished Eric would follow airplane rules. Because going around shirtless and a leather jacket draped over ones shoulders was surely a breach of airline regulations. Then she saw Sookie staring and she understood why. A gust of air was forcefully expelled from her at the stupidity of it all.

"Come on Winnie, it's okay for you to admit I have a stunningly handsome physique." Eric almost had a grin on his face.

The stewardess opened up the doors and motioned for them. Winn was the first to go. Walking right past Eric she replied, "I guess you're attractive if I squint my eyes and we dim the lights a little after I've had a drink or ten."

Sookie snorted.

While she knew she should have just taken a seat, floors had always been more comfortable for her. There was never any particular reason why, it just felt nicer. The stewardess had thrown her a frown but kept silent on the matter. The plane tilted upwards as they rose towards their altitude. There followed about half an hour of blessed silence.

"Winn, are you ok?" Sookie asked, shattering the silence.

"I'm fine."

"But you're on the floor."

"I can get up any time I like. I just chose this place because it was the comfiest." She replied.

"On the floor?"

"On the floor." She lamented, eyes still closed

"Winn, let me help you up on a seat and you can sleep."

"No. I am not resting until you are safely in your house."

There was a sigh, "Is that what this is about? _My_ safety? Look at me, I'm fine."

"I shouldn't have let you go to the Church in the first place. It was my fault you got captured, and let - what he was about to do . . . and then the explosive bomb, I should've seen that coming. Sookie - "

"I decided to infiltrate them, alright? And I'm fine, Eric saved me." She answered, her voice kind. "Really, you didn't have to come out here for me. You don't even know me. But it's real sweet, what you did. Hell, I don't know why you and Eric are together - no offence."

Winn raised a brow. "I didn't come on this mission just because of you. As far as Eric goes, I wouldn't trust him as I could throw him. And considering he's some type of abnormally tall Nordic giant with vampiric strength who I wouldn't even be able to budge a centimetre . . . ."

"You're just weak." He replied. She scowled at him. He was just about the worst family member she could ever hope for. Or pray not to have, more likely.

"Oh my god!" Sookie exclaimed, eyes going wide as saucers and Winn cursed internally. "You two are _related_?"

Godrics head whipped away from the window to look at this progeny. Eric was looking right back and then his eyes slid to the floor, faced transforming into guilt. "I was going to tell you."

Winn was glaring hard at Sookie. Why, oh why, did she have to read minds? And not just read minds but be a blithering clueless idiot around it. People kept quiet about things for reasons, but trust Sookie the human fog horn to blare every little secret everyone ever had to the rest of the world. Winn was getting too tired to even be enraged; she would do that when she had a good nights rest. Maybe tomorrow.

"Yet you provided me with an omission, why?" Godric asked.

Finally he looked back up at his maker. "Sookie, take the rest of them to the back of the plane." He demanded.

There was a pause and then Sookie seemed to oblige. Even she understood this was a serious conversation. And no doubt she was itching to interrogate Winn further. "Let them stay." Godric said.

Eric seemed conflicted, "But Godr-"

"They can stay." Godric lamented.

Eric bowed his head in defeat. There was a long period of silence as he seemed to think of the best way to tackle the conversation. By now, Winn was curious too. She was fairly sure his answer would be something along the lines off, _"have you seen what has happened to my lineage? I was too humiliated to tell anyone."_

Finally, Eric spoke. "I did not want you thinking about what would have happened if I remained human. She is . . . of my sisters descendants." The surprise was evident on Godrics face. "I only found out recently."

Godric bowed his head, seeming to become contemplative.

Winn looked at Eric in shock. The story told through the generations, it had been about _him._ It was his family who had been killed by the wolves. And remaining human . . . did Eric and Godric think that Erics sister had died at some point? Was that why he had come to find her again after bumping into him in Fangtasia?

He must not have known she had been alive then; it was only Winns physical attributes which had ignited his curiosity just enough to trace his lineage. She leaned back against the seat, floored by the revelation. From where the story of Eric had been a giant void before, were now a thousand puzzle pieces all scattered on the floor. But they were there. She could start putting them together, one by one.

Eric spoke again. "My life as a vampire is the one thing you should never regret. It was what I am."

"You took her - a human - with you into danger." Godric finally said. His tone held thinly veiled disapproval. Something in Erics demeanour switched at his Makers tone, as if he was having to tread carefully.

"I did. I know I should have left her behind in Shreveport, but she is clueless about everything. It was the best way." He explained, though it was vague enough for the humans to not understand, Godric seemed to have translated Erics statement into something much more. Finally, he nodded.

"Why is it whenever you tell a story involving me, I am twice as stupid in it?" Winn asked.

"Count yourself lucky, I'm making you sound twice as smart as you really are, at the barest minimum." Eric replied.

Winns finger twitched as she restrained herself from throwing him an obscene gesture.

Eric and Godric were staring at each other. Finally, Eric reclined swiftly in his seat and Godrics gaze wandered back to the dark sky. A silent conversation had passed between the two of them, and Winn was sure once the humans were gone they would get to the grit of it.

The plane hummed as it glided through the skies towards Shreveport. Everyone settled down silently, deeply preoccupied with their thoughts.

Rifling through her back she took out the manila envelope she had taken from the Fellowship. With a sigh she drew up her legs and rested the papers on her lap.

Jason leaned forwards in his seat, looking at her in concern, "You sure you should be doing that now? Maybe you just close your eyes for a little while."

Her eyes flickered up to look at him, "And why should I sleep when the Vampire is not?"

"Winn, you really should rest. No offence, but you don't look too good. Like, you _really_ don't like good. Wait - who's the vampire?"

She decided to ignore his question. Winn's eyes wandered back down to the papers, and she turned another page, "Rest is for the dead."

Jason snorted. "Look, Winn, I'm being serious. You're pale. Like, really pale. I mean, paler than vampire, pale."

Her eyes rose in mock-disbelief. "That's just my natural shade."

"I'm bein' serious now." He crossed his arms in displeasure.

"Just stay out of it, Stackhouse." She sighed. Jason seemed at a loss of what to say and leaned back in his seat, lips pursed in displeasure. Sookies little brother might like playing hero with all types of small-town girls, but Winn was neither small-town nor had the time for his antics. She had a mission to execute, and had already wasted too much of her time.

Winn flickered through the papers, only enough to get an overview. Truth be told, she didn't have the energy to look at them in great detail. But she had to do something with her time. There was no way she was going to fall asleep in two vampires presence.

Then she made small sound of confusion as she lifted up one of the papers and looked at them closely. Her eyebrows furrowed. It was an email, except the entire language of it was cryptic. _The silver necklace has been given to our buyer. The roses were collected earlier after a dispute, and will be sent to you immediately, as discussed. Unfortunately our buyer is not interested in meeting with you, they have other motivations. They will meet Solaris, not Artemis. Regards._

"What is it?" Sookie asked.

Winn hummed. "It's just . . . odd. Everything else is straight-forward in this file. Well, relatively. It's illegal and not hidden. But this . . . this is- it's all cryptic. Monetary transactions aren't being hidden, so what's worth all this secrecy?"

"Can't you just ask?" Sookie suggested.

Winn shook her head. "Newlin fancies himself as some master negotiator. Which means if he does pick up the phone, he won't give me the information. And I don't exactly have a weapon to threaten him with. Since I'm now out of money I can't afford to go back to Dallas."

"I'm real sorry." Sookie sounded sincere.

"It's not your fault."

The plane settled back into silence again. Eventually it was only an hour left until they began descending.

"Woah - hey" Jason had gotten up and was kneeling by Winns side, eyes full of concern.

"What is it?" She looked up at him. She already knew she had been stabbed. And had gotten into a fight to the death with a Southerner. And had been part of a suicide bombers explosion. All in one night. Her body wasn't holding up too well.

"Your nose." He said.

Her fingers went up to her nose and as she drew back she saw fresh blood. "Oh".

"Why's that happenin'?" He asked.

This wasn't looking too good. And there wasn't much she could do about the situation now. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the seat. "Jason I might start saying strange things and hallucinating. Just ignore me."

His voice was full of alarm, "and why would you be doing _that?"_

Winn knew that despite the fact she shouldn't be anywhere near any American institutions where they'd try to register her, it was the last option she had. "Because I might have a very bad concussion. I might not be in a right state of mind to get to a hospital myself when the plane lands. Can you just, I don't know, throw me out of the car by the nearest hospital?"

Jason was gaping at her suggestion, " . . . just throw you out, like you're trash?"

Winn was losing the energy to continue this conversation and she heard her own voice drifting, "Look if I don't get to someone who can help me I _will_ die. Once the fluid leak builds up then it will severe the connection between my brain and spine."

"Eric, you have to save her." Sookie demanded, joining the conversation.

"I can't." He muttered.

"What the hell do you mean you can't? She came with us all the way to Dallas, that's the least you could do!" She snapped. Sookie had flown out of her seat in rage.

"She did not want the offer and I will not force her." He replied.

Sookie responded with a shrill laugh that sounded anything but humorous. "You're Eric Northman who does whatever the hell he wants when he wants and now you're just gonna start listenin' to people? What's different this time?"

"It doesn't concern you."

"Eric you have to save her, she's your family."

Erics voice was a soft snarl and eyes glacial cold. "Do not speak of things you don't understand."

"She'll die if we don't. Winn - hey, Winn?" Sookie's voice filling with concern. Winn was floating in the darkness, and Sookies grating voice barely registered. "She's not responding."

There was a beats silence. "The girl will live. I will heal her if professional assistance is not an option." Godric's voice was nearly drowned out by the planes engines.

"Thank you." Sookie said sincerely. There was a long drawn-out silence and Sookies tone had changed to concern again, "Eric are you alright?"

"I'm fine." He replied, but his voice sounded distant. He sounded troubled, as if he had just come to realise something profound.

-0-0-0-0-

The darkness was a welcome reprieve, but it was sharp pain that ripped her away from unconsciousness. Whimpering, she feebly tried to get away from whoever was holding her. "Leave me, just leave me." She begged. Every movement, no matter how minor, sent a jarring pain through her. There was the sound of a click and then she was lowered down to lie on leather seating. There was a soft jerk as the car pulled out and began towards its destination, wherever that might be.

Winn was flowing in and out of the darkness. Pain needling her like fishhooks kept drawing her back out. She was being jostled again, moved to another location. This one she sank into, and the thought floated around her mind that it was a bed before disappearing.

There was a familiar _schnick_ as fangs came out.

"No." She breathed and her lashes fluttered, struggling to pull herself out of her near-unconscious state. She heard the tear of her shirt rather than feel it. Warm tears trailed down her temple. She didn't want to die like this, at the hands of a vampire. Her flaying hand hit an arm and she feebly wrapped her hand around a cool wrist. There was a pause and then a thumb traced soothingly over her hand.

The hand caressed upwards gently, until it reached the gash. A thumb trailed over her wound and she let a strangled cry between clenched teeth. For a few moments she seemed to be flowing in and out of her body and all of a sudden the pain subsided. Her back sank back into the mattress and she let out a breath of relief as her hand went slack, hitting the bed. Instantaneously the pain had vanished as if by some miracle; she let go of all her fear as a welcome darkness took over.

Darkness was soon replaced by memories. The skin of her back was split open as she was dragged over the glass shards into the house. The Vampires voice was a shrill, hysterical sound. Blood. There was blood everywhere. She was covered in it, drowning in it. But it wasn't hers. And then she was yanked back out from her nightmares and into reality. Except her body was too sluggish, too disoriented by pain to break through the barrier completely.

She tried to flee the bed but a gentle hand held her down. Everything was dark and her body was working against her. None of her muscles seemed to be working and she shifted slightly in her struggle. It was all she could manage. It was a fevered stage of injury she was stuck in.

A voice floated to the right side of her head, sounding concerned, "What's happenin' to her? All I could hear was a bunch of screamin' and then - I don't know . . . I mean I've always been able to read peoples minds and feel what they feel. And I've felt fear before, like when this guy, John, was scared because he had done something illegal at work as the police were sniffin' around. But this was like, pure terror."

Another voice, much smoother and refined answered, "It would appear to be nightmares induced by past events."

"Oh, wow. Like what?" The female voice said. Was it Sookie?

"It would not be my place to say. Especially for the fact that I can only make assumptions." The voice sounded disapproving, as if displeased with Sookies prying. Maybe she was imaging in it, she couldn't tell apart dreams and reality had merged.

"Hey why did you do that thumb thing?" Sookie asked.

"To heal her." The voice responded.

"But it barely did anything."

"This method only works for smaller wounds. With the amount of sinew that has been shredded by the knife I thought it best to aid in the healing process. She will be in less pain this way."

"Why not just give her your blood? Bill-"

"Is a new vampire." His voice grew sharp, "and they treat blood as something without meaning. Our blood is rare, and holds power. If there is one thing the Ancients understood, it was this."

"Alright look, I get you don't wanna give her your blood then, but Bill-"

"Will not come near her. She is not his." The voice was sharp. Something inside of her tugged at the dominating reply; it was sharp enough to nearly break through her fevered state.

Sookies voice grew thoughtful, "Is she yours?"

Silence ensued. Finally Godric spoke. "Bill is here with the doctor. It seems he has grown suspicious of the time you have spent at Erics house, you best head down and soothe him. And please, Ms. Stackhouse, send the doctor up."

"Of course I will." She turned to leave, and as her hand wrapped around the door handle she looked over her shoulder, "Thanks for everythin' you've done."

The door closed, leaving the vampire and fevered human. His hand stroked her temple as he stared at her. "You will not die tonight, Ms. Vik."

* * *

 **Yay! From now on, there is official divergence from True Bloods plots. Also Im sorry this chapter is a little jumpy in places, but I didn't see the point in rehashing familiar scenes. And to everyone (im)patiently waiting for some more Winn-Godric scenes . . . patience, my readers. I promise you'll be rewarded, but Godric needs to establish trust with our traumatised protag.**

Since I can't send guests a pm, I'll respond to your messages here:

Guest: i completely understand your frustration with lack of character development in the first 4 chapters, but I hope in the upcoming ones where you see how Winn was introduced to vampires and how her parents were murdered will help you understand her fear better. Also, thank you for the review, i love 'em!

Yeah Boiii : I hope i included enough iii's in there. Thank you for your sweet review, you made me so happy :)


	7. No Use To Cry

1\. Sorry for not updating as usual, computer was in repair for quite a while. Old bessy is back in my care and still kicking. To those who wrote to me, thank you, I am still alive! Or undead. Who knows anymore.

2\. I split this chapter into part 1 (below) and 2 (coming soon) as it turned into a behemoth. Enjoy!

* * *

Waking up with a whimper she shot up. Her eyes flickered around the dark room, and only then did she try to relax when she realised her surroundings. She wasn't back home surrounded by blood. She was in a clean room that smelt of freshly washed linen, with a bed lamp lighting up the room gently. Her thoughts circled faster than a cyclone, _it should have been me,_ was the thought reoccurring over and over again. The lingering nightmares had her shivering.

Something tugged at her arm and she looked down to see an IV drip. Biting her chapped lip she removed the tape and gauze and slowly began extracting the needle. She swore softly under her breath. As soon as the needle was out she quickly threw it onto the floor and placed the cotton and tape back over the tiny prick, stopping the beads of blood from forming.

As she slid out off bed she realised someone had changed her out of her old clothes and now she was wearing an oversized grey t-shirt and short shorts that were nearly falling off her slim hips. Looking in the mirror she could make out first it was a lacrosse team, and then she saw _Bon Temps_ written across it. She let out a small breath of relief, it must have been Sookie who changed her, then. It also told her of location. Far away from Norway and the painful reality she had left behind.

Pulling down the loose shirt she regarded the wound. The skin was pink, puffy and gnarled. Ridges ran along the entire area. Stitches had mended together the wound. It looked hideous. Even with all the pain medication she could feel she was on, the wound was still a dull throb. Even so, she had thought she pain would be worse. She had expected the wound to look uglier than it was. It was like it had healed faster than she had expected. Unless she had been out for weeks. But that wasn't possible - was it?

She tried to look outside but found the windows were all barricaded with automatic shutters that blocked out the light completely. There had to be vampires in here then. Her heart jolted. It was only with the thought that it must be daylight outside that made her feel the tiniest pang of relief.

Slowly she made her way across the floorboards and out into a hallway. The house was huge and elegant. Earthy. As she began walking downstairs on her exploration route everything was made of oaks, mahogany, or marble. The relics standing in corners or hanging on the wall felt distinctly Viking and she wondered if she was in Erics house. Somehow she had imagined a damp little dungeon with soil and blood everywhere.

The kitchen was a vast open area. Instinct took over and she scrambled forwards, yanking a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water. She threw her head back and chugged it all before sticking it back under the still running water and downing the next glass and the one after and a final one. It was such a desperate need that she had ended up choking, and still downing the cool liquid. With a heavy, content sigh she placed the glass back onto the counter and shut the water off. She hadn't realised just how desperately thirsty she was until now.

The house was quiet. With no photographs, or anything else distinctly personal it was difficult to tell who's house she was really in.

There was a beautiful study room, and a giant living room with a black leather couch so wide it could easily fit two people lying down. Finally she found a kitchen. The windows were large, and she was sure if sunlight was allowed in, it would be a lovely place.

On the oak kitchen island lay an iPad. The voices sounded strangely familiar and curiosity propelled her forwards. She in-took a shaky breath as she stared at the video playing out.

It was Winn. Back when she was twenty years old and carefree. She remembered that day, it had been in the middle of summer, and the sky had been cloudless as the sun shone down.

In the video she could hear the happy songs of the birds flying around, could hear the faint trees creaking, and the brook bubbling a little ways off. Her hair was a wavy mess, and in her hand was a bow and arrow, raised straight ahead.

Gustav was tall and lean, a true viking in figure. Winn couldn't have asked for a better, more loving and encouraging father. Her mother was a short curvy woman with warm eyes and a constant smile on her face. Winn always joked she got the worst of both worlds: short and lean.

"If you don't release that arrow soon I'll be thinking your delaying your failure."

Winn threw him a scowl, but it held no weight. "Of course I can hit the target."

Gustav tried to surprise a smile as he crossed his arms. "Can you?"

Winn rolled her eyes, before turning back to the target and pulling back her arm. A second went by as she narrowed her eyes in concentration, and then she released it. The arrow hit the middle of the board. With a victorious grin she turned around and did a mock bow. "It's hard to be as talented as me."

Gustav grinned. "Must run in your genes - mine of course, not your mothers."

"Excuse me?" Winns mom, Mara, said, off the camera. It quickly focused to look at her. "I'll have you know all the intellect our daughters gets is from _my_ side. And beauty."

Gustav grinned. "Well it looks like she's perfect then." Then he seemed to reconsider, "Well the way you attempt to clean the kitchen is pretty -"

"Language." Elisabeth warned. Winns grandmother had been filming the whole thing. It was only three months after that summers day she died of a heart attack.

"Yes dad, _language._ " Winn teased.

"It's a good thing your granddaughter has manners, heavens knows how I ended up with a son like you."

Winn was so focused on the video she didn't hear the blinds move upwards as the sun had set.

He held up his hands in a mock apology, before focusing back on his daughter. "Well alright, I went easy on you. But there's no way you can hit that apple up there in the tree." He pointed upwards.

"Gustav stop goading our daughter! The amount of situations she gets into because of you-"

"Is this about the tree incident? This about the tree incident isn't it."

"You made her climb to the top of the oak tree!"

"Technically he didn't make me." Winn pointed out.

Mara raised a brow, hand on her hip. "What would have happened if she fell?"

"I would have caught her."

"From fourteen meters up?"

"Of course."

Mara narrowed her eyes. "You let our daughter do something like that again and you'll be dealing with a lot worse than whatever the military threw at you. You can count on that."

Gustav pulled his wife close and planted a quick kiss on her lips before she could react. "Of course, you wildcat."

Winn scrunched her nose. "Get a room."

"And Fred, stop accepting all your fathers challenges, it's ridiculous. The both of you, so competitive." Mara added. Winn and Gustav threw her a grin. With a rapid shake of her head in exasperation, Mara promptly turned around and went towards the house, intent on finishing dinner.

When Mara was out of earshot Gustav turned around. "Well?"

"What's in it for me?" Winn asked, cocking her head to the side.

"An extra steak."

"Hm . . . that seems pretty alright . . . except what I'm going to do will be pretty damn cool. You better up your prize."

He snorted. "You won't hit it anyway."

"A trip on the boat. We haven't been in ages."

"We went last week." Gustav reminded her, eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Like I said: ages."

"If you hit that apple, then we go tomorrow morning, sailing all day. I'll bring a full basket of food."

Throwing him a look that said she had accepted his challenge she raised the bow, placing an arrow by the taut string. Her muscles strained as she pulled it back, eyes narrowing. A second passed. Her lips tightened into a straight line as her concentration deepened. She could do this. She wasn't going to lose. The wind moved the loose strands of her hair, tickling the nape of her neck.

Winn released the bow. It shot through the air. And it hit the target. The apple fell to the ground in pieces. The wooden arrow got stuck in some tree branches.

Grinning, the took the last arrow she had left and dove it into the ground. "Looks like you owe me a boating trip tomorrow."

The floor board creaked behind her and she whirled around, wincing at the quick movement. Eric stood there, arms crossed. The video continued playing. She heard her own carefree laughter. She hadn't laughed like that since her parents died.

"Where did you get that?" She asked, quickly wiping away the tears.

"Someone owed me. You've lived a very energetic life, Winn."

"Normal people just have conversations to figure out other people, they don't hire private investigators to unearth every single documentation on them."

"This was faster."

"Faster for what?"

"Getting to know you."

The video was replaced by another. There was a heavy club beat and slurred talking, then some hollers. Back when the video had gone online she had died of mortification at her own behaviour. Drunk, short black dress, dancing on a stage in front of her hundreds. Mockingly stripping with two of her guy friends. Now she wanted to cry from innocence lost. How she wished she could go back to that. She had been drunker than a skunk, but she could still recall the feeling of the night, like she had been on top of the world. Like she was couldn't be defeated. The entire night had been filled with laughter.

"Well do you feel like you know me better after watching these videos for my past?" She spat.

There was a pause as he regarded her. "What happened wasn't your fault."

Her jaw tightened. "It was."

"I've seen the files. You were smart in university, well-known despite the size. Ambitious. Social. If you had been at home you wouldn't have stood a chance, you're just a human."

"You don't know that." She hissed.

"Oh? And what would you have done?" He raised a brow.

"I - I don't know! I would have been there, not out partying! Don't you get it!" She took a step forwards. "If I had been at home taking care of the house like I should have, they would have been in another country that night. It would have been _me_ who died. Not them." She blinked harshly as the world blurred from unshed tears.

"You're young. Getting drunk and fucking your way through the city should be your focus." His voice was softer than she could ever recall him using.

Winn looked away from him, out into the vast yard outside. It seemed like he owned an entire estate. "All I wanted to do was see this guy. I thought if I went to that party, it would finally happen. We got into a huge argument. They called me childish . . . they were right." She breathed a mirthless laugh. "We didn't even hook up. I don't know what he's up to now, I don't care."

She didn't know why she was telling Eric all of this. Maybe because he looked like he cared. Maybe she just needed to tell someone.

Finally she looked at him again. "How bad were the injuries?"

"You were touch and go for quite a while. But you fought. So here you are."

"Here I am." She murmured.

"The doctor gave us all the information we need on dealing with human injuries. It was a private exchange. The only ones who still know you're illegally in this country is Godric and I."

She blinked in surprise. "You did that for me. Why?"

"You are family."

"I thought vampires only regarded those they had vampire-blood-ties to as family."

Eric looked at her curiously now. But there was something else there too. Respect. "You risked your life to save Godrics."

"Yeah," she sighed, "I guess I did."

"You're an idiot."

She threw her arm up in exasperation. It was what Godric had told her too, but in less ambiguous terms. "Thanks."

"Don't do it again." His voice was nearly a growl.

"I'm not planning on it."

His face remained sharp and cool as always. But there was a gentleness in his eyes, subtle as a melting glacier. It was there, but she could only discern it from spending time with him. "It was brave. Foolish, but brave."

"Thanks, I guess."

"You'll stay here until you're healed."

She raised an eyebrow at his command. "I won't be staying here long. Definitely not until I'm healed."

Eric shrugged. "Take it up with Godric."

Her brows furrowed. "Did he decide I was going to stay?"

"You attempted to save his life."

"So there's a debt to settle - look I did what I did, there's nothing to pay back."

"If there was, it would be with me. But there is no debt. As I said before, you belong to me - nothing will happen to you."

She snorted. "The only person I belong to is myself."

He chuckled. "Say whatever you like won't make what I've told you any less true."

Winn huffed. Eric could say whatever he wanted, but she was still her own person and still belonged to herself, even if he thought otherwise. "Right."

His phone buzzed and he whipped it out. He exhaled forcefully through his nose. "Duty calls, Winnie. I would tell you to stay put, but theres enough drugs in your system to make Charlie Sheen jealous. You won't be going anywhere."

Now that he mentioned it she was already feeling drowsy. She tried to suppress a yawn. Before she could reply he was gone in a flash and she flinched. Vampire speed did little to dampen her fear.

Winn was planning on leaving, as soon as possible. For right now she had to take Eric at his word that he wouldn't harm her, because she was too tired to leave, and certainly too tired to find another roof for the night. Plus, she remembered now that he owed her the money he had promised if Godric was found. With no money left in her name, she was desperate for that cash. Issuing a heavy sigh she went back over to the sink to pour herself another glass of water. The liquid sloshed around in her empty belly. She hoped Eric hadn't been lying to her, and that he was going to give her the money.

An hour passed as she stared into nothingness, trying to work through the drugs in her system, trying to stay awake. Her mind was working sluggishly, and she was trying to pierce together what had happened and what she needed to do.

"Ms. Vik." Godric greeted as he entered.

She looked over shoulder. Standing in a brown tunic she surmised he had an unlimited amount of the garb in different colours. For a moment she wondered how he would look in jeans. It was probably be as jarring as a panther in a skirt.

Where had that thought even come from? Focus, Winn. "Hi." She finally replied.

"I am glad to see that you are up. You have been sleeping for a few days."

It was a relief to hear, much better than weeks of sleeping.

"This must be disorientating for you. Would you like something to drink or to eat?"

"I'm fine." She muttered.

"Perhaps some more painkillers, then. I spoke with the doctor, he was very direct in how much was a healthy dosage to give you."

Winn shook her head. "I don't need anything."

He stared at her, a frown slowly forming on his face. "You are hoping that enough physical pain will numb the ache in your heart."

She stiffened and her eyes went dark. Her voice was barely above a whisper; she didn't want to betray herself by hearing any trembling when she spoke - whether it was from fury or despair she wasn't sure. "Don't you dare pretend to know anything about me."

"I truly am sorry. The events that have happened to you are neither your fault nor do you deserve them."

Then she inhaled sharply as her memory came back to her. "It _was_ you. At first I thought I was imaging it, but - . . . you saved me, didn't you? Back in Dallas. Why?"

He tilted his head a margin back, looking at her in appraisal. Godric didn't seem the least bit off put by her sudden conversation change. "You were in danger."

"So were other vampires. And now they're dead." She snapped at him. Why had he even noticed she was in danger - why had he even cared? It was her who had stepped in front of him first. He had no reason to switch their positions.

Godric bowed his head slightly in response. "I do not differentiate between the importance of life between species, Ms. Vik."

"You had no reason to do that." She hissed, feeling furious for reasons she couldn't quite pinpoint. All she knew about vampires was that they were cold-hearted murderers, and if they cared about anyone at all, it was someone of the same species. Godric couldn't view both of them as equals. He had to be lying. "You knew those vampires. You didn't know me."

"Are you telling me you believe that you should have died back there?" He asked. There was the slightest crease between his brows as if her answers were confusing him.

"I am telling you, I want nothing to do with you or your kind." Then she stared at him, long and hard. Anger bubbled up, but for a different reason now. "Stop analysing me."

He seemed mildly surprised she had noticed. Though she didn't know why. She wanted to scream, but kept her voice low, "You really think humans are that stupid? Of course I'd be analysing everything you do down to a fractional movement - just like you're analysing me."

"And why would you be interested in doing that?" He questioned, his tone carefully crafted to sound light. She couldn't understand him. He wasn't been hostile, like Eric constantly was with her. He hadn't treated her like dirt beneath his shoes, like Pam did. He wasn't hysterically violent like The Vampire was. It was almost like speaking with someone who had humanity.

"So I at least get some warning about when you're trying to murder me." She didn't know why the words had burst forth, but she couldn't take it back now.

For the first time since she had met him he seemed frustrated. The edges of his lips tugged downwards, "Ms. Vik, I've already explained I have no intention of doing anything of the sort. I wholly understand your fear."

His smile was tight. "I am curious about you. I know you will not listen to anything I say to calm your fears; actions will do the speaking, and after millennia I have enough patience to wait. No, Ms. Vik, I am simply analysing you because you are remarkably observant."

He had referred to her as _Ms. Vik_ multiple times and it was grating on her nerves. It made her sound older than she was. But she wasn't going to correct a vampire on her preferences, there was no need too.

"Few vampires can tell my intentions when I choose to perceive myself as neutral, and yet you have." He added.

Winn brushed a hand through her greasy hair. "Or maybe no one thinks you're that insane."

"Insane." He repeated, the side of his lip twitching, "No, I assume they don't."

There was a pause before he spoke again, tone still gentle. "Eric contacted Sookie on her favourite foods. I admit I do not know such preferences. It will arrive soon and you can receive some nourishment."

Her shoulders deflated as the anger began leaving her. He had spoken softly to her as one did a skittish animal. It worked. She wasn't sure what to do with his care, or the gentle interest he took in her. "I'm fine."

"You are hungry." He pointed out. Of course she would be after only receiving nutrients in an IV drip for days. She couldn't remember the last time she had solid food. A deep rumble went through her stomach at the thought. It felt like a dagger had been twisted into her stomach as the pang of deep hunger hit her once again.

Unsure how to respond she tried to brush him off. "It's fine, I can easily go fifteen days without food."

"Fifteen days and then you are dead." His tone was somber. So he did remember things about humans.

"Alright if you want to get literal I can comfortably go fourteen days without eating." She replied, annoyance colouring her voice.

His lip quirked in response.

The doorbell rang. Winns brows shot up when she saw just how much food had been ordered. There was at least twelve separate meals that had been ordered, and with Americas sizing portions it was enough to feed a small country. The delivery boy seemed confused at Godric's youthful appearance but adult demeanour.

The boy shut the door and then Godric laid out all the food on the table. There was an awkward pause.

Despite her stomach aching painfully for food she didn't take another step nearer. Winn didn't trust him enough to turn her back to him as she ate.

He regarded her and then gave a curt nod. "If you need my help with anything then I shall be in the study."

"I don't need your help." She said.

He began exiting the room.

"And Godric?"

He paused, then turned around.

"Thank you."

Even if she didn't trust the vampire, he had listened to her when he didn't have to. And he had called for a doctor when he didn't have too. In truth she didn't understand it, didn't understand him. He had no reasons to help her at all, and he had anyway. The calm vampire in front of her had prevented her from dying, had offered her shelter and now food. Meeting Godric had only made her more confused, more uncertain about vampires.

"Godric?" She asked again, testing his name.

He waited for her to continue, eyes shining with encouragement.

"Calling the doctor . . . is there a debt to be paid?" That was what she understood. Every action a vampire had was a reaction. It was always cause and effect, always about debts to be settled and debts to be repaid.

"No. You did a brave, compassionate thing Ms. Vik. Asking for someone to heal you - a human - as you requested, was the very least I could do." He made it sound as if there was a debt, but a far larger one he owed her than she could fathom. She wondered why.

With no more to be said, he left.

Only a second passed before she dove for the island and grabbed anything she could with her hands, shoving it into her mouth. After a few moment she moaned in relief. Despite her shoulder throbbing in protest at her rash movements she was too consumed with satisfying the instinctual hunger. Winn wasn't even sure what sort of fried American food she was eating and she didn't have time to care. She was inhaling it.

After well over half to dishes had been cleaned out she sank into the chair. A moment later she was deep asleep at the kitchen counter.

Godric flashed into the room. After cleaning up kitchen island he looked at the sleeping human, a smile ghosting his face. Still in a semi-drugged haze Winn wouldn't know it was Godric who had picked her up and carried her into bed. Or that he had cleaned her arm before re-inserting the IV drip. He hesitated a moment, and then the back of his hand lightly caressed her fevered cheek before he left.

-0-

Over the coming days she can't help but think about Godric. He was like a ghost in the house. She felt his presence, but he was barely ever there. It was only when she woke and dragged herself downstairs did she find him sitting with some old documents and a pot of fresh coffee for her did she see him. Otherwise he was in the study.

Except for the times she needed medication. In his own calming way he had been persuasive enough to talk her out of administering the morphine on herself and allow him to do it. Truth be told she wasn't sure how he had convinced her in the first place, but all of a sudden she had found herself grudgingly and quietly agreeing to it.

Slowly she grew used to his presence. The fridge had become stocked with human microwave meals. Every night that went by she felt herself getting calmer, just a little. Eric as far as she knew hadn't been there at all.

The only time Godric and her actively spent together was when he was giving her more morphine. Winn couldn't help but be amazed at the fact he had only picked it up from the one time the doctor had showed him how to administer the drug. If she didn't know better she would have thought he was a professional.

They would always sit in silence. He would focus intently on minimising the pain of the needle as much as possible and she would stare out the window.

After a week her shoulders had relaxed, and she automatically got into the chair instead of standing awkwardly by its side and reluctantly getting in after small talk. By the end of the week she had begun giving him a shy _Hi_ when she saw him.

Then one night she woke up, but this time there was no Godric or fresh coffee in the kitchen. She nearly called out for him before pressing her lips together. The french doors from the kitchen to the porch were wide open. Outside she saw an array of people setting up high table tops and laying fairy lights all over the lawn.

Eric appeared next to her and she jumped. "Jesus! Stop doing that."

He shrugged. Winn hadn't expected him to apologise. She wondered if he had ever apologised for anything.

"What's with the set up?"

Eric made a grand sweeping gesture over the lawn. "Vampire gathering. Some others found out Godric's in town, and this is the result."

* * *

Thank you to all reviews and likes, I promise to reply as soon as I get the chance.

Guest 1: Thank you for your kind review! Yes, Winn is incredibly stubborn. Luckily Godric is had millennia of practice being patient ;)

Guest 2: That makes me happy to hear, haha. I've had fun playing with Godrics character, especially utilising the reactions he's had with Eric (ie when Eric was telling him he'd keep him alive by force, instead of argueing with him, throwing it back in his face and turning the conversation back onto Eric. I thought it was incredibly smart and loved that little dialogue). We'll see it more in part 2.

Guest 3: Yay! Glad to keep the Godric-centric stories on here alive. Hope you enjoyed :)


	8. No Use To Cry Pt 2

For the past hour she had been tapping her foot on the floor with arms crossed, scanning every movement the staff made. When the staff left she waited with clammy hands for the vampires to arrive. Despite breathing in deeply, her heart was still beating against her rib cage.

Eric strode up from the lawn and looked at her.

"Why are there so many vampires coming?" She asked, voice small.

Eric threw her a look of exasperation. "Relax, Winnie. This is a civil event. More of a kiss the kings hand bureaucratic bullshit event."

"Is Godric a King?"

Eric frowned. "He passed on the offer. Decided to be a sheriff in a shithole instead."

"Huh."

"Now get ready. You look as attractive as a gutter rat."

She threw him a looking of loathing. "I'm not trying to be attractive."

"I am. And if there's a human living in my house, being presentable would be nice. Pam will bring you clothing."

Winn snorted. Excellent news, as Pam had been so accommodating in the past to her. She couldn't wait to hear what insults she'd give her this time as she shoved the clothes into Winns human arms.

Speak of the she-beast and she will appear. Pam had flashed onto the porch. Upon seeing Winn, hers eyes looked up at her body slowly, catching every bruise and cut. Her delicate brow raised as she looked at Winn. "I still cannot believe you are related to him."

She refrained from rolling her eyes. "He's just a vampire."

"He's a Viking Vampire God." Pam corrected her sharply.

"That list seems a little short, might I suggest adding Valient?" Winn asked, sarcasm seeping into her tone. Eric's lip quirked.

Pam was not amused. She threw a bundle at Winn: clothes.

Not looking to have a further one-sided conversation with Pam consisting only of insults she made her way upstairs and struggled into clothes. It wasn't as bad as she had thought it would be. In fact, it was quite chaste. She surveyed her body with relief in the mirror that she wasn't wearing some leather gimp suit the strippers at Fangtasia would surely jump at the chance of wearing.

It was a simple black dress, and her combat boots had been returned to her, polished and shining. The fact that her shoes had been brought back made her sigh in relief as she slipped the little silver dagger back to its rightful place.

Making her way downstairs again she stopped short of leaving the house. Outside, in the timespan of twenty minutes had appeared dozens of vampires. Vampires from all around Lousiana had also come to attend the party, it seemed. Godric was a celebrity in the world of vampires, it looked like. Their attire changed from black leather to beautiful dresses that looked centuries old.

There didn't seem to be any rhyme of reason to their fashion choices, except which era or decade they had liked best. They milled about outside and her eyes flitted through the crowd. A small part of her felt relief when she saw Godric standing talking with several vampires. Even in the darkness she saw he was looking at her. He gave a small nod of encouragement though his face remained neutral and several heads turned to look at her. He said something again and quickly they turned back to look at him.

Exhaling a shaky breath she squared her shoulders and stepped over the threshold of the house. No one seemed to pay much attention to her, except for a few vampires who looked surprised a human had stepped out of the Northman house.

Immediately she saw Sookie but got stopped short by a vampire. She swallowed. The male was young, maybe only thirteen before he had been turned. He threw her a charming smile. Winn let herself be lead through the conversation. Throughout the entire time the vampire spoke her eyes kept being drawn back to Godric; his back was to her and hands interlaced as he spoke with a group of vampires.

All of them seemed enraptured by him. They hung on to his every word and she wondered if he was saying something truly fascinating, or if they were simply pretending to hold a rapt interest because they were trying to social climb.

Luckily she could make her escape when the male seemed to notice an old friend and gave another dazzling smile before weaving his way through the crowd. She breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe now she could go back inside and hide under the covers. Never in her life had she felt more uncomfortable.

"Personally, I would have preferred pink fairy lights, but we can't always get what we want." A smooth voice sounded next to her, with a light Italian accent.

Whirling around she came face to face with another vampire. With long brunette curls and an hourglass frame she was undoubtedly beautiful. Her eyes twinkled with mirth and the corners of her full red lips curved upwards.

"They're nice." Winn remarked quietly, finding her voice nearly lost.

"Must be a lot of faces you have not seen before, no? Of course not," Her laugh was musical as wind chimes, "you have barely lived. Let me tell you some of these faces you do not want to see again, so many boring people here they will lull you into the true death."

Winn shrugged, at loss for words.

The woman in front of her didn't seem concerned. "Manners, manners, hm, yes . . . I am Sanna. I would tell you all about me, but if I began I would not stop for eternity. Of course I would not, my voice is beautiful."

Winn couldn't help but snort in amusement. The woman was lively - the first time she would use that adjective in connection to a vampire.

"What is your name, quiet girl?"

"Winn."

"Not a common name. At least, not anymore. It is such a shame when names fall of fashion, is it not?" Sanna sighed wistfully, eyes staring off into the distance as she thought of something before focusing back on the human in front of her. "You know Godric."

Winn blinked in surprise. She hadn't spoken to him once, let alone be near him.

Sanna have a knowing smile, "You keep looking at him. Of course, I do too. Everyone does. What a puzzle of a man. But puzzles you can solve, there are pieces to put together. No, he is something quite different."

"Yeah, Godric seems interesting." Winn remarked.

Sanna grinned. "Yes, that's one word for it."

"What do you mean by that?" Winn asked.

Sanna looked at the forest, before her eyes flickered back to the human in front of her. "Oh, it's really not important."

"Please?"

Sanna seemed like a woman who loved to gossip. And with slight begging from Winn, was all the incentive she needed. Sanna's eyes lit up and she leaned in, whispering, "Well alright, but don't go running away screaming. . . they call him Death."

Winn opened her mouth to question further then closed it. If he had a reputation even within predators, then . . . Winn felt ill. She should have let him die. And yet, now she would knowingly be responsible for countless more deaths. Godric should have died, should have been taken by the sun. And she had prevented that. She was an enabler for a mass-murderer.

Oh God, what had she done? As if he knew she was thinking of him, he glanced over his shoulder to look at her and her jaw tightened in response, looking elsewhere. Winn had spent the week inside of his house, had eaten the food he had brought, had begun to relax around him.

Sanna pulled her out of her thoughts. The vampire leaned in, a flirty smile on her lips, "Anyone ever told you are very pretty? You have that whole woodlands elf thing going about you."

Winns hands clenched by her sides, "Right. Thanks."

Sanna's fingers trailed down the side of Winn's neck, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "You ever been with a vampire before?"

Winns brows knitted together. How could she ever let something so horrible happen to herself. "No."

Sanna ran her tongue over her teeth. Still, no fangs were present. "Would you like to? I've heard the expierence is mind-blowing for humans, and believe me, I've had a lot of expierence."

Instantly Winn recoiled at the suggestion. They had been talking for all of five minutes, and the entire time Sanna had only been thinking of Winn as a bloodbag. Just a potential source of food. Because that's what she was. Food. And nothing more. The Vampires words hit her like a freight train and she squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to get its soft voice out of her head.

Shaking her head rapidly she stared right at Sanna. "Get away from me." She hissed.

It seemed like Sanna regretted her decision because her hands came up in a gesture of surrender. "I didn't mean to freak you out, elf. Just thought it would be fun. No harm done - hey, listen, I'm basically a mainstreamer, drinking true blood, socialising with humans and all. But a little consensual fun on the side never hurt nobody."

Winn spoke through clenched teeth, "And I'm not interested."

Suddenly Sanna seemed bored and shrugged, "Well alright. But if you change your mind, come find me." Then she turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

It felt as if the whole world was closing in on her. Vampires were surrounding her on all sides, and all they saw was her as a bloodbag. And she had helped a mass murderer, just like the Vampire who had murdered her parents. It felt like there was a vice around her heart, squeezing the life from it.

Winn moved away from the congregation, trying to stop the panic attack she felt happening. She wanted to fall to her knees and screamed into the ground. As she walked away, distancing herself from the party she felt as if she was coming apart at the seems. But no one around her noticed, they didn't even glance her way.

She stood some ways away, eyes on the ground. An hour passed quickly, and then Sookie Stackhouse stood by her.

Sookie smiled at her kindly. "You seemed kind of lonely here by yourself, I thought I'd join."

"Sure." She snapped, refusing to look the blonde in the eyes.

"I know this might seem real stressful to you, but everyone here is super nice - and even if they're not, they know they're on Eric Northmans property and boy would they be sorry if they did anythin."

Slowly her eyes rose to meet Sookie's. "How can you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Act like you do around them?"

Sookie shrugged. "It's easy I guess, I just seem them like I do humans. Some are good, some bad, it's just the way they do things thats confusin'. I mean, i don't like it all, but you just gotta have a little patience to understand."

Winn wanted to cry. "They're all bad, don't you get it?"

"Of course they're not all bad, Bill's been nothing but sweet to me, and he understands things."

"But you mean nothing to them. I mean nothing to them."

Despite being a mind reader, Sookie seemed confused. Maybe that's because the only thing happening in Winn's head was a constant unending scream. To everyone else at the party she was stoic and mute.

A long silence passed between them, and all the blonde seemed to do was patiently wait. There was an earnest look in her eyes. She seemed genuinely worried about the girl she knew nothing about.

After a long time, Winn spoke.

"I am nothing but a sheep among wolves, an easy and dimwitted prey designed to be manipulated. I am the lowest on the food chain and I have been born to die at the hands of the superior species. What I need to do it bow down and submit, to accept the inevitable fate. Maybe in good graces I can have the honor bestowed on me to become a blood-whore, passed around until I finally do die. And I should be _grateful_ that honour was ever bestowed on me."

"That doesn't sound like you." Sookie whispered, brow knitted together in concern. The silence stretched again, long and unbearable. Winn had her arms crossed tightly in front of her.

Winn stared out into the woods with unseeing eyes. When she replied her voice was dull, "You're right. That's what The Vampire told me as it crushed my throat and dragged me towards my parents corpses. It told me the fault was mine. It pressed my face into their blood on the floor and asked me if I could taste their disappointment. It told me they might still be alive if I had been stronger."

She turned to look at Sookie, "But I'm not, don't you get it? I am nothing. I am the blood flowing through my veins. That's what I am. That's what the The Vampire showed me. And it's something you will never understand. Those people who throw themselves at you to protect you? They do that because you're not human - not fully. You belong to part of their world. I don't. So don't ever try to empathise with me again, because to do that you need to be _human._

After the vampire had left she had curled up besides her parents, staring ahead with unseeing eyes. She didn't move a fraction until the sun had risen high in the sky and had begun setting again. The blood was cold and dry, feeling like lead on her skin. The Vampire had come into her house and removed everything from inside of her until there was nothing left. She felt nothing, she thought of nothing.

When the suns last rays disappeared over the horizon she got up and ambled into the kitchen, feet dragging. There was a large knife on the counter with a wooden hilt. Her stiff fingers reached out and she wrapped her hand around her. The tip pressed gently into her skin, right above the vein of her wrist, gravity pushed it down slowly, until the first bead of blood appeared. Still, she felt nothing.

But as her hand grabbed the hilt more forcefully, ready to push down she found she couldn't. Winn stared for a long time with half-lidded eyes. But she couldn't do it.

Placing the knife down she went into the bathroom and closed the door. The blood drenched clothes were discarded on the floor, smearing the white tiles. The waters temperature was scalding hot, hot enough that she began to feel something. It blazed through the deep cuts running like fissures along her back where she had been dragged through the broken window. It bit into the hole on her wrist.

Grabbing the loofah she scrubbed and scrubbed until her skin was raw. The water began to run cold and she scrubbed until her skin was red and small welts of blood appeared. But the leaden feeling clung to her. When the shivers began to rack her body she turned off the water and trailed into her bedroom. The clothes looked foreign to her now as she pulled on a pair of jeans and top over her still wet body.

The phone was still in the kitchen. She moved around the two corpses. When she called the police her voice sounded far away from her own ears, like she wasn't really there at all. "Hello? My parents are dead."

The process had been fast. Or maybe it had been slow. She couldn't tell. That period of her life had been walked through in a daze, talking with police, preparing for a funeral, refusing news reporters, refusing psychiatrists. Demons existed, but they didn't know that. They wouldn't understand.

When she had gone to the beach, something filled the void inside of her. Fury. The demon would die. Her parents had been murdered but they would be avenged. Winn would kill the demon if it was the last thing she would do.

Suddenly the vampires were leaving. They had exchanged looks with each other and began flashing off. Some seemed hesitant before going over to Goodrich and bidding him a formal goodbye. He wasn't looking at them, only at Winn. Eric flashed next to his maker. It seemed to be his progeny in charge of sending people off. In under a minute there was no one left but the two humans, Godric, Eric, and Bill.

Something seemed off about Bill. He had become super tense, and his eyes kept shifting back to look at the ancient. He jerked his head at Sookie, "It's time to go home."

The blonde raised a brow at his commanding tone and she put a hand on her hip, "I'm not gonna leave just 'cus you tell me too, alright? I'm in the middle of something."

"It's fine, we're done here." Winn replied. Her voice was far away.

"I know it's not fine! Winn-"

"Sookie." Bill snapped, and something in his tone caused Sookie to look up. She paused, looked at Winn, then back to Bill, then to Eric and Godric standing close to eachother and looking from a distnace.

She bit her lip. "If there's ever anythin' you need - anythin' at all, you just ask, alright?"

She quickened her pace to get to Bill, but Winn hadn't noticed them leaving.

It was Eric who strode over to her first. "I won't stand any more of this silent and stoic crap. Tell me who the vampire is."

Eric was towering over her. She felt the spark of defiance come back in her at his insult and demand. "You care suddenly?"

"Stop wasting time and tell me."

"I can't." She replied bitterly, glaring up at him and fighting a sneer. Fighting was good. Fighting was easier.

"Then work harder. Fight it." He snapped.

"Maybe I don't want too, Eric. Maybe, because it pisses you off you psychopathic unfeeling asshole, just maybe I don't want to try at all. Maybe I just find it fun. Maybe I don't want to say anything to a coward who abandoned his family." She hissed.

Eric's upper lip twitched, seemingly fending off a sneer as his eyes darkened. "Winifred, I will forgi-"

"Eric." Godric cut him off, voice sharp as a whip. Eric immediately stopped talking, his eyes flickering to his maker. Godric went back to focusing on Winn, though he still spoke to his progeny, "Leave."

Eric opened his mouth and closed it. There was a moments of silence and Godric's eyes flashed with anger, making Winn intake a sharp nervous breath; Eric flinched as if he had been slapped forcefully. Winn blinked and he was gone.

A split second later his eyes had softened. "What has happened if something no one should go through."

She was conflicted on whether to laugh or cry. Death was trying to sound as if he cared. "I'm sure you really care."

He didn't snap back at her like Eric did. "I do."

"You don't know how to feel."

"It wasn't your fault." He seemed like he wanted to reach out to her, but he remained where he was.

Of course it was. What kind of daughter was she that she couldn't save the two people who had cherished and raised her? "You know nothing at all."

"You deserve to find peace within yourself, and the only way to do that is to forgive _."_

The breath left her. "Forgive?! You don't want me to go after your kind, is that it? Will you kill me too, just finish the job?"

"I know this is difficult to-"

She let out a harsh laugh. He was being calm, so infuriatingly calm. She wanted to punch him. She wanted to scream until she lost her voice. Winn made her way towards the house, putting distance between them.

But he followed her quietly. At the porch she turned around. "You're the worst of them, aren't you? Just some fanger, probably really proud of the reputation."

His eyes had hardened at her words. "And you, do you believe I am the worst?"

Jaw clenching she turned away from him again, walking inside the house. Again, he followed. It felt like he was hounding her, and she couldn't escape him. The anger combusted into a brilliant ball of fire within, fanning out and engulfing her, making her blood boil.

Winn whirled around. "You're not civilised. You've never been. You're just pretending to be."

"I would advise you to be quiet now." His voice was low in warning.

"You can't confront your past, the trail of death you've left in your wake; the death that lingers on you, wrapping its darkness around anyone who meets you. The whole act of being something in between vampire and human - treating all as equals - you haven't found some light privy only to your eyes - you're running, aren't you? Always running. From others -"

"Winn." He hissed. A thrill of fear shot up her spine, but she stood her ground.

"From yourself." She continued. "You've only locked the beast away - and he's fighting to get out, isn't he?"

He stalked towards her and she took several steps backwards as he advanced. Winns heart began thumping against her rib cage; her words had ripped the pandoras box he had tight lock on wide open. It was his aura that enveloped her: power, intimidation, domination. Her back hit the wall and before she moved to escape his hand hit the wall millimetres from her face, hard enough for it to crack. Bits of plaster rained down. She flinched, unable to look away, unable to distance herself.

Her voice had lost all of its fire, coming out in a meek whisper. "You're not something new, you're just human, running away from a past you can't bare to look at. That's why you wanted out. You didn't even try to fix what you have done."

Despite his terrifying actions his voice was shockingly soft. "Is that how you view me then, a monster who cannot control his impulses?"

"Why do you care how I view you?"

"Why should I not?"

She blinked rapidly, his line of questioning throwing her off. There was a long silence, and then he was gone, leaving a light breeze caressing her bare skin behind.

A moment later he was back carrying a gun and she flinched. She saw him open up the gun and place several wooden bullets inside before closing it up. He took a step forwards her, eliminating the space between them. He held out the gun for her to take, but she remained frozen.

Then he placed the gun in her open palms, and wrapped his own hands around hers, forming her fingers to hold the gun, guiding it right at him. His palms were cool and coarse, like he had been put to work back when he was human.

Raising the weapon he pointed it straight at his chest, and then took a fractional step forwards so it dug into his skin. All the while he stared at her unblinkingly.

In his gaze she found no darkness, no anger, no fear. Only acceptance. Only compassion.

"If you believe this would solve everything, then you have no more reason to wait." His hands slipped away from hers, resting loosely at his sides. The feeling of his fingers lingered on her skin.

"You would throw away two-thousand years of life - like this?"

"It has been more than enough."

She wondered if he was doing what he had done back in Dallas, wondered if he believed his sacrifice would solve her grievance, like it would have solved Steve's grievance. Would it solve her grievance?

Vampires always acted on instinct and survival. They didn't end their lives. And Godric wasn't going to end his life like this. It couldn't be possible. He couldn't possibly allow her to. She had seen how he had acted, felt his power. He wouldn't place that into her hands.

"They call you Death."

"My transition into vampirism was not a wanted nor easy one but I cannot take back my past actions. There is only the present and the future."

"Do you think you've changed?"

"Do you?" He asked calmly. The way he asked her, as if he genuinely cared about her opinion - as if hers was the only one that really mattered. Except how could she know if he had changed, when she didn't know him at all?

"You wouldn't do it. You wouldn't give me the power to do this."

"Yet I am."

With trembling fingers she took her eyes off of him and checked the cartridge again, not believing it. But there it was, several wooden bullets neatly lined up, just waiting to be fired. She pointed it back at him, prodding his chest with it. But her fingers continued shaking as she stared at him. He stared right back, unflinching.

"If you shoot, then I will be gone. All it will take is for you to pull that trigger."

She didn't understand as she couldn't take her eyes off the man in front of her. He was calm. But he also seemed to accept her decision if she shot him. There was no judgement in his expression, no accusatory tone.

"Why?" She whispered.

"Because this is what you want, is it not?"

"You - you shouldn't care what I want."

"But I do."

He stood there, unarmed in front of her. There was no fight, no fangs. Only Godric. Only vulnerability. They stared at each other, blue eyes clashing with green. The world around didn't exist. One weapon. One pull of the trigger. That was all it took. Everything was silent, like the world was bating its breath, waiting for an immortal creature to no longer exist. Her finger twitched before releasing.

The gun clattered to the floor. She breathed again. Legs seemingly giving way she slid down the wall.

Godric knelt down in front of her, palms on his knees. "Just as the robbed holds their bag tighter to them in public, just as the one lied too will question the truth of someones words, you will be uncertain around vampires. Do not let this vampire hold power over you, for you do not deserve it. Look at me."

He placed her fingers beneath her chin and raised her head. She didn't jerk away from his touch. His blue eyes held infinite kindness that seemed to seep into his soul. "You will never feel whole as you once were, for even when you rebuild everything there will be the cracks of suffering you will always see within yourself. Do not let that stop you from living the life you deserve to live."

She swallowed, unable to look away from him. He wasn't glamouring her, but she couldn't look away.

"I'm not who I was."

He gave a soft smile, thumb brushing her jaw. "Would you like to know what I see when I look at you? A beautiful soul who has valor and bravery most could only dream off. I see a woman who has compassion and love extended to all. I see a goodness that puts light in even the darkest of places."

She looked at him with misty eyes. There was a twisting in her gut as she felt the ghost of the weight of the gun. "We've barely spoken."

"Everything I know about you now is from your actions and I believe they have spoken for you when your voice has failed. I wish to speak with you more - every night."

"What are you?" She finally whispered.

"I am Godric." He smiled.

He rose from the floor in one fluid motion and then offered his hand. She licked her lips nervously as she stared up at him. He gave her a disarming, encouraging smile. After a moment she slipped her hand into his.

* * *

 **a/n: confession: this chapter worried me in terms of speed/character progression, so if you liked it (or other) please leave a review! It'll take a minute or less and would make me eternally grateful :) - Also I broke my own rule of writing a/n's . . . I said I wouldn't, but. I hope people feel he remained in character, Godric is old and a survivor at heart, the way I've interpreted his character is someone who will commit to an action or sentence already thinking of it's longer term implications or results.**

 **Guest 1: Hey I'm actually really glad you picked up on that! You're review made my happy and relieved, hehe.**

 **Guest 2: Hope this character development makes you happy too :o**


	9. Lost Highway

Finally she had made contact with the corporation responsible for the Newlins church charitable donation: Woodrich Institution. At first they had been utterly disinterested in her, but it seemed with the disappearance of Newlin their interested had piqued. At first they had tried to remain politically correct, claiming they believed in equality for all kinds. It with only with her mentioning of the cryptic message and Newlin going missing they gave her a call back in a surprise move.

Winn had a feeling she knew what had happened to the Reverend but didn't want any details. He had picked a fight with every vampire in existence and broadcasted the message.

Tonight at half past eight she would hopefully have forged a solid relationship with someone there. Money meant funding, or at the very least a network in place to help her get the weapons she needed against the Vampire. Maybe if things even went really well, they may even be able to help her locate the Vampire; but that was something she was unsure if she could ever trust anyone with.

Winn threw her unbrushed her into a messy ponytail. Quickly she threw back two painkillers and washed them down with water. Her shoulder was still throbbing, but she did her best to ignore it. The pain would go away in time.

As she sat down on the kitchen bar stool, Eric opened the front door.

He strolled over to her. "Evening, Winnie." The way he said her name made her suspicious. He wanted something. "Busy?"

"Actually, I'm going to-"

"Excellent. You're coming with me."

She stared at him. "How about we discuss the money you owe me first?"

He raised a brow.

Winns stare turned into a glare. "If we found Godric, then you gave me money."

Eric crossed his arms and leaned back slightly. "You come with me now, I'll give you the money tomorrow."

" _Now,_ Eric."

"You're making demands when you have nothing to give me in return."

"I already gave you something in return!" She snapped at him. Her shoulder ached.

He gave a deep sigh. "So melodramatic. Get in the car, and I'll give you the money tomorrow. Or you get no money at all. Here's the thing, Winnie, whatever decision you make won't affect me."

She scratched the back of her neck and swallowed down the scathing remarks threatening to pour out of her. "Fine." She said through gritted teeth.

Winn followed him to the car, lowering herself into the front seat. She could fault Eric for a lot of things, but not his choice in cars. The Bugatti was a very, very nice choice. If he refused to pay her she'd just steal the car as collateral. And then turn into collateral herself give minutes later when he hunted her down.

"I need to have a long conversation with one mister William Compton. The details don't concern you. What I need you to do is babysit his annoying little progeny, Jessica Hamby."

Her brow furrowed and she swivelled around to look at him. "You want me to _babysit_ a vampire?"

"A newborn actually - a fledgling."

Winns mouth opened and closed several times, trying to find an answer as they raced down the dark road. "Are you planning on having me get eaten? Am I some offer?"

"Firstly, if I was looking to offer up a human to any vampire I could find tens of thousands more willing than you. Secondly, I would never sink to the level of attempting to appease a fledgling. I have no respect for them."

She shifted in her seat. "So . . . I'm just going to . . . babysit a baby vampire? And this is . . . safe?"

"Perfectly." His smile was razor sharp and she somehow didn't buy his words.

"For how long?"

"Few hours should do it. Being an annoying self-righteous pest runs in the bloodline."

Winn closed her eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. Then she looked at the time. The sun had set twenty minutes ago now. She still had an hour and a half before she had to get going to her meeting. That counted as 'babysitting' for a few hours.

Something still felt off about the whole situation. Vampires were stronger and faster than humans. They weren't disorientated toddlers who stuck everything into their mouths and tested the limits of the survival of the fittest theory. So why was Winn, a human, asked to babysit a vampire?

"Why can't you just get another vampire to do it?"

"They're busy doing important things."

"Well, why can't Jessica Hamby sit by herself for a few hours?"

"You will be there all of thirty seconds and understand how distracted they can get." Eric clearly had no tolerance for baby vampires. Or he particularly didn't care for Jessica.

"Can't Compton just do that ordering thing?"

"No. Now stop asking questions or I'll strangle you with your seatbelt."

She crossed her arms and sank into the seat. For once, she didn't take his words seriously. The rest of the ride was silent, and the fact Eric hadn't strangled her yet made her certain he had been sent away for the entire conversation between her and Godric yesterday night.

If Eric was sensitive enough to threaten her when she assumed his Maker lived in a hovel in the ground, then threatening Godric with a gun was crossing the line far enough to plant her firmly in Siberia. The thought that Eric might find out one night, if Godric decided to tell him, made her uneasy.

They drove up through a winding driveway and found themselves at a large house that looked like it could use some fixing. Along the way Eric, in a tone of utter boredom, gave her a very brief description of Jessica's life before her turn into vampirism. She had been a preachers daughter locked up all day, forced to recite the bible.

Eric got out in one graceful movement. After a long moment Winn removed the seatbelt, resigned to her fate. Bill and Jessica were already on the porch.

"Evening, Winn." Bill greeted her.

"Hi, Bill." She replied, feeling uneasy. Damn it, tomorrow she was getting the money Eric owed her and then she was out. She was so out.

"Well Bill, are we going to stay out here all night staring at the moon, or are we going?" Eric drawled.

Bill didn't seem amused by the situation. "Jessica, behave yourself." Then he followed Eric to the car, slipping into the front seat.

Jessica rolled her eyes at the command. "Jessica, behave yourself." She mimicked him.

Both of them watched the car pull away and out of the driveway. Once it disappeared Jessica turn to look at Winn.

"Want to come inside?" Jessica jerked her head towards the house.

Winn wrapped her arms around herself. "Maybe we should just stay outside. The weather is nice."

Jessica shrugged. "Alright then."

There followed a period of silence. Jessica hopped up onto the banister, swinging her legs back and forth. "What's it like in Norway?"

"Cold, mostly."

"I knew this girl from bible camp, Kristen, and she went to Iceland once. She forgot to bring warm clothes, because she was stupid and thought it was going to be just like Louisiana. Kristen had to go to the hospital for a whole month and had to get a toe cut off." Jessica babbled excitedly.

Winn wasn't sure if the story was just teenage gossip spun out of control, or if someone really was that stupid. "Oh. And Kristen was . . . human?"

"Of course she was! This was like, two years ago. I mean, I don't think I would get effected in the cold now anymore. I could probably go naked and be just fine." Jessica grinned.

"Then you haven't been a vampire very long." Winn said in surprise.

Jessica shook her head. "Nope. Just about three months now, I think. I mean, I dunno there's not really any point in keepin' track of time anymore. Well, for things like bills there are. But they're borin', and Bill takes care of that."

"How old are you, Jessica?"

"Vampire age or human age?"

"Let's go with human."

"Seventeen. And with the vampire age I'm one month away from eighteen! Well, I would've been. It's so lame. Now I gotta get a fake ID and everythin' because I'm kind of legally dead, so now I can't get a legal ID. All I wanted to do was use the shit out of it, whippin' it out at like every bouncer - even if they didn't ask. Because I'd be legal."

Winn toyed with her sleeve, hesitant to ask the next question. Jessica's eyes were flickering all over the place. To Winn, to the yard, to the house, to the moon. "Is it hard . . . being a vampire?"

Jessica paused for the first time since Winn had met her. She seemed to contemplate the question deeply. In a split second her entire demeanour changed and she seemed on the verge of crying. "It sucks. I mean it doesn't, but it does. I've never felt better in my life, it's like - it's like . . . having the whole world in your veins. I feel like I can do everything. But I don't know anything. And I'm cooped up like a stupid chicken in this stupid house that's fallin' apart."

Slowly Winn lifted herself up to sit next to the vampire, keeping her distance, just in case. "You don't know anything?"

"It's not like there's any kind of manual saying: here, do this! But don't do this, because humans get freaked out. Oh and your body does weird shit now, but no one tells you any of that. It's like goin' through puberty all over again, but even bloodier." The redhead grumbled.

"Oh." Was all Winn could say as she absorbed the information. Vampires weren't forthcoming about information. Except Jessica who wasn't even treating her like she was just a human, but an equal, or a confidant.

"And no one tells me anything I need to know! Do you know we cry blood? It's gross." Jessica ran a hand through her hair and looked down at the ground, "Sookie knows more about vampires than I know about vampires. And I'm a vampire!"

Winn blinked, surprised. Jess was an open-book, absolutely trusting Winn with all of her thoughts. There was no filter with the redhead. Eric would sooner stake himself than give Winn even an sliver more of any type of information, even if was just a complete recipe for raspberry pie.

"I'm sorry." Winn said, sincerely.

Then Jessica was standing across from her and Winn flinched. Immediately Jessica's eyes snapped up in alarm into the forest, before coming back to Winn. "No quick movement." She repeated, like it was an order, then focused back to Winn. "Sorry."

"I-it's okay."

"Sometimes I can't stop my ranting. One moment I'm thinkin' one thing and then I'm thinkin' something completely different like my brains a light switch. Except there's a million switches and half of 'em are automatic. It's like a rave goin' on inside my head."

"Sounds complicated."

"Only until we go to bed, then we're just kinda dead to the world. Apparently the older you are the more likely you dream. But I kinda like not having any thoughts for a few hours."

"I didn't know you didn't dream." Winns brows raised in surprise.

Jess pressed her lips together. "Me neither. Didn't even think of it until Sookie said it. Always stupid Sookie - who's always tryin' like a mom just 'cus of Bill." She complained, then went contemplative before Winn could blink. "Why doesn't Bill tell me anything?"

Winn shrugged. The Maker-Progeny bond was confusing the hell of out of her now. Eric and Godric's had seemed so personal, yet formal. Winn thought that's how it always was. But it didn't even seem like Jess's Maker cared all that much.

Jessica's eyes wandered out into the woods again. Winn tried to follow her line of sight and squinted. All she could see were the pitch black shadows enveloping the forest. "Jess, is someone out there?"

Jess suddenly turned towards her. "I've never had a friend before." Jess confessed, playing with her hands. Winns head snapped from the forest to look at the redhead, who was staring intently at her with vulnerability shining in her crystal blue eyes. All thoughts of the woods were thrown from her mind at the surprised confession. She stared at the pretty teenager in front of her. Pity tugged at her heart.

"Oh, Jess." Winn breathed. "Well you have one now. Even if I am human."

There was a beats pause as Jess seemed to comprehend her words, and then she lit up like a kid at Christmas. "Really?"

"Yeah." Winn smiled.

"Oh - Oh I don't mind at all that you're human. I mean there's this boy that I like - Hoyt - and he's human, and he's like, real nice." If vampires could blush, Winn was sure that would be exactly what Jess would be doing speaking of her crush. It was all so silly, and so young, and pure, and human that Winn forget they weren't even the same species. She couldn't imagine Jess' life, locked up in a preachers house and knowing only her family and the bible. Her heart ached for the girl who didn't have a childhood.

"Well where'd you meet him?" She asked.

"It was over at Merlottes. Bill let me out for the first time kind of, and then he came over to me. Winn he was - he was just so nice. He didn't even mind I was a vampire! And I know people kind of hate us, 'cus, well, you know . . . but he thought it was _cool."_ She giggled.

Winn felt a pang of guilt. Jess hadn't been asked to be turned, and especially not so young. She bit her lip with uncertainty as she stared at the girl who had become animated. How could Winn hate someone like her? Surely it wasn't her fault she was undead now, sent to an eternal punishment for being an animated corpse forever.

There was only a whisper in the back of her mind now, constantly chanting _vampire, vampire, vampire._

But it was as if Jessica Hamby still showed signs of humanity. Of a childish youthfulness and a blissful naivety. Winns eyes flickered down the vampires body and frowned at her ill-fitting clothes that looked like they had been fished out of a lost-and-found.

"So when was the last time you went clothes shopping?" Winn asked.

Jess shrugged, "I can't really remember. Daddy says the clothes girls are wearing today is takin' them on the path to Satan's whorehouse and Mama was dumb as a doornail, she couldn't do anything beyond cleanin' the house."

Winn nodded slowly. "Well, do you want to go shopping with me? I know some places with cool clothes, and you look like you need it."

On the way to Bon Temps they had passed a downtown shopping area nearby, and Winn was sure she could find it again.

"Ok, but on _one_ condition." Jess said excitedly holding up a finger. Winn had the sneaking suspicion even if she refused to meet the condition Jessica would still go shopping with her. The girl clearly needed new attire.

"What?" Winn raised a brow.

"Are you a virgin?"

Winn blinked at the unexpected question, startled. "I - Jess, that's a little uhm - well, no."

Winn realised she probably should have lied as Jess' eyes filled with uncapped excitement and jaw dropped. "Alright, you _so_ gotta tell me how it was like!"

Sighing she stood up. "Alright _maybe_ , if you get the cars keys and your ba-" before Winn would finish her sentence the front door shut again and Jess stood holding both the car keys and her bag.

She froze, "Rule number one, no flashing about. Please."

"Oh. Right. Sorry about that. Now lets go!" Jess said and all but dragged Winn to the car, cool hand slipping into warm. This situation wasn't like the one with The Vampire, she reminded herself. Jess opened the door excitedly for her, a grin with the promise of adventure on her face. No, Jess wasn't like The Vampire.

Jess had insisted on driving. For the first time since meeting her, Winn was beginning to fear for her life. While Jess insisted she knew how to drive, whether she had a license proving that was up to debate.

Miraculously, they got to the shopping area in one piece without one dent on the old car. They entered the shop together, Jessica babbling a minute about more scandals at bible camp. Or 'bible camp' as Winn had decided to think of it as, because with the stories pouring out of Jess it seemed more like an orgy gathering with religious themes rather than an actual religious camp.

"Jess try on these." Winn handed her some jeans.

Jess wrinkled her nose. "I want skirts. Short skirts. Short, short skirts."

"No."

"Yes!"

"Come on, Jess." Winn groaned.

Jess pointed at Winn. "I'm not all bad ass like you, alright? I can't pull off that batman black attire you wear."

"Firstly I'm not bad ass and secondly you should really try these pants. Pants are not a hallmark of badassery."

"I think you're real tough and everything." Jess shrugged. "Like, strong."

Winn gave up and put down the pants. She could probably find skirts that was a compromise between the two of them, not too long and not too 'amish' as Jess would likely complain about. _"_ Well there's different types of strong. Some girls are really pretty and know how to flirt and seduce their way around situations. Some use knowledge. Other girls use their fists to control a situation."

"You're the fists one aren't you?" Jess grinned.

Winn snorted. "Oh no, I'm not very good at the whole fighting thing. I like knowledge."

"Well what do you think I am?"

"That's up for you to figure out."

Jess rolled her eyes at Winns evasive answer.

"You don't just have to be one thing, you know."

"Yeah, whatever." Jess was bored with the conversation. She skipped into the dressing room with a bundle full of clothes.

Winns eyes were pulled outside. She didn't know what she had expected to see, but felt the slightest pang of disappointment at the empty street. Her hands fiddled idly with a price tag.

While Winn hadn't thought of big spending, and needed to converse the last reserves of her money, Jess had whipped out a credit card.

Jess was okay with using it, since it was Bills money, and not hers. Winn was sure by the end of the night the card would be melted with how fast Jess was planning on swiping it through every slot she got the option to use. Jess would buy a Tibetan singing bowl if it meant she could use her card.

"What do you think?" Jess called. Winn wandered over to the dressing room.

 _"_ Jess, no!" Winn was looking at the teenager in horror. The dress looked more like a black shirt meant for a toddler, stretching over Jess and just barely covering the essentials.

"But it looks good on me." She whined, pushing up her breasts as she turned to survey herself in the mirror.

"I'm trying to help you look like a strong woman, not a two dollar hooker taking discounts." Winn mumbled.

"There's different kinds of strong." Jess mimicked Winn.

"Don't use my words against me. Also, you're not buying that. You're getting ripped off since a dress is supposed to kind of cover above and below, not be as small as a bandeau."

"Well I have the money and you don't. So there."

"Fine." Winn admitted in defeat. "But you really won't regret getting these jeans." She held up the apparently offending garment.

Jess looked at her, then the pants, and then dress she had on. "Alright, fine." She shut the door again.

They were out of the store and walking down the street that was mostly empty. They sat down on a bench in a small square. The conversation began shifting towards romance again. She was as excited as any normal teenager was.

"Remember, you can just take things slow with Hoyt." Winn stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"Oh we've already done it - kind of. But Bill interrupted us, right in the middle of it. I would die if I wasn't already dead." She moaned into her hands.

Winn giggled. Then swallowed, "Uh - sorry." She rubbed the redhead on the back soothingly.

A period of content silence ensued, both of them in their own thoughts of a bit.

"Jess?"

"Yeah?" She answered back, immediately alert.

"Do you really feel that you're a vampire now, not a human anymore?"

"I mean sure if I focus on it, then I'm getting all hungry and blood just tastes amazin'. But you know, it's - oh, I don't know! It's different, is all. I mean I like talkin' to Hoyt and I like talkin' to you." She said earnestly. "But it's just - it's different. Off course it is I'm a vampire and you're a human and I know that I'll see Pam 'n Eric over and over again, and I'll live forever even if I don't really know what that means yet. Then of course there's that whole blood thing." She smiled ruefully.

Winn deliberated before answering. "So with Hoyt, have you ever fed on him?"

Jess toed the cobblestones. "He finally let me a while ago. He says its weird and he's a little hesitant now even though it's been a few times - but I can tell he likes it."

"But you still see him as your boyfriend? Even though you feed on him?"

"I mean he's my first boyfriend. I don't really know what it's supposed to feel like when you love someone, but I think this is it. I mean, even if I wasn't allowed to feed from his every again, I'd still be with him."

 _Love._ Jess thought she loved Hoyt, like one human loves another. Even though she fed on him. Jess viewed Hoyt as more than just blood, but as a partner. It was the first time she had ever heard a vampire utter that word outside the context of feeding.

However, Will still felt queasy at having anyone take her blood. It felt wrong. It was wrong. Her vision flashed with past memories dripping in blood.

She steeled herself for an answer she didn't want, but a question she needed to ask. "Have you ever killed someone?"

Jess's face transformed into horror. "Oh my god, no! I mean, I hope that never happens that I kill someone. I gotta drink to live, but I ain't taking anyones life for it."

There stood the tall redhead in front of her, thrust into a life of vampirism she didn't want but was coping with. Jess didn't seem ashamed, or horrified, or even brooding with her new life. In fact, it seemed like she was thriving in it. Then guilt hit Winn and she swallowed harshly. Jess had recoiled at the thought of murdering someone - a vampire - had thought murdering someone was unthinkable. But Winn had already taken a life. Who was the monster now?

Jess reminded Winn of Godric, except more hyperactive and with less wisdom, though that was to be expected. If Jess for all her genuine enthusiasm acted with this much humanity, then Godrics couldn't have been an act either. She began tapping her foot. Did they have more humanity then she did?

"Winn, are you alright?" Jess asked tentatively.

Winn paused, and finally looked at the vampire. A small smile appeared on her face. "Yeah, yeah I am."

And then her phone buzzed with a timer.

"Gotta be somewhere?" Jess asked.

"Yeah." She sighed. "Let's get you home."

Jess shrugged. "I'll just go to Fangtasia, that's where Bill and Eric are anyway. Then I can listen to both of them be all commanding and stupid."

Winn pursed her lips, unsure. She was supposed to be playing babysitter, right? "Alright, fine. You go straight to Fangtasia, alright?"

"Duh. Where else would I go? Everything is closed and Bon Temps is so _boring_." Jess complained.

From everything she knew of Jessica so far it didn't seem likely she would lie about this. Jess wanted adventures, and Fangtasia was a social hub for vampires with all sorts of debauchery that would have the newborn vampire keeling over in pure excitement.

"Fine." Winn nodded.

They walked over to the parking lot. Winn hailed a cab and Jess got into the old banged up car. Jess sprang over and hugged Winn, leaving the human so startled she didn't respond.

"Have fun!" She yelled out the car door as she sped down the empty lane, swerving like a drunk.

Winn still stood in shock. Then shook her head as she got into the cab. She gave the directions and settled down. It would be about a forty minute drive to the Woodrich Institute, located outside of Shreveport.

-0-

Reluctantly she paid the taxi drive a huge sum and watched him go. As she began walking towards the entrance she caught sight of a small plump man with only a small patch of hair left struggling with arms full of papers.

Just then the bald man spilled all his documents. Winn hurried over and knelt down, grabbing several before they could fly off.

"Thanks." He mumbled, hurriedly gathering the last papers.

Winn stood up with him, handing him the papers. "It's happened to me enough times I've become an expert in picking up fallen paper."

"They should invent something like binders to keep all the papers together." He said sarcastically, but his voice muted as if shyness suddenly overcame him.

"Would almost be better than sliced bread." She smiled, then stuck out her hand. "I'm Winn Vik."

"George Fitzsimmons." He shook her hand. "Do you work here?"

"Actually, no. I just have a meeting. A little curious to gain some more knowledge. Do you work here?"

"Just a possible client. I work at a library." He spoke quietly, and his eyes kept darting to other places.

Her brows drew together in puzzlement. "This corporation works with a library?"

He tucked the papers under his arm. "More of a specialised library, if you know what I mean. Wanted to see if they'd help fund us."

"You mean dealing with, um, non-human stuff?" She asked tentatively.

George nodded hastily, and then shook his head. "Just forget I said anything. Have a nice day."

As he tried to walk past her, she put a hand on his arm. "Hey George, I didn't mean to freak you out. Listen, I love reading, and if you could tell me where the library is I would be really grateful."

George shook his head again. "It's private. People can't just walk in."

"I promise I won't tell anyone about it." She promised. So that's why George had wanted funding. If no one knew about it, the state couldn't fund them.

"No. No, absolutely not. You have to know someone to use that library. It's a very specialised library." George refuted again.

"I know you." She replied softly, hoping he would take the bait. Winn didn't know what she would get out of the Woodrich Institute, but books specialising on vampires and perhaps even other important things, that was useful.

George didn't accept her words. He began walking.

"George!" She called, trying to keep pace with him. His car was on the opposite side of the parking lot. Once he got in, she didn't have any more chances. "George, listen to me. Something - something bad happened to me, involving vampires. I just need to know more about them, that's all." There was a beats silence. "Do you like vampires, George?"

His eyes flashed in anger. "'Course I don't. They're murderous and they're not human."

"I don't like them either. Don't you want to feel safe, George? Maybe I can read about something that can help us."

"I do feel safe." He grunted.

"Look, I'm desperate." She confessed.

"All of us are desperate to get rid of 'em. This library is for serious folks only, not just anyone."

Winn pressed her lips together. "I know things about vampires. Did you know they bleed from their eyes, instead of normal, _human,_ tears, George?"

He stared at her, and finally nodded stiffly.

"I know these things, because I've studied vampires up close for a long time. But I'm sure your books have even more information. It would be so helpful if I could just-"

His hand went to the door.

"Wait!" She jammed her hands into her pockets and fished out all the money stuffed inside. The last of her money. After this, she was entirely reliant on Eric to pay her back. She held out the wadded up cash, all six-hundred and seventy-two dollars. "I'd like to donate to this exceptional library you work for, and all the good work done in preserving all the works, I'm sure. If this money ends up elsewhere, well, I wouldn't know."

He stared at her. Her heart was beating in her chest. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

George reached out and took it, stuffing it into his pants pocket. "Someone will call you someday. Answer it. If you don't, that's it. You know the answer, you get access to the library. That's all, we never spoke and I won't ever be seeing you again."

He shut the car door harshly and started the engine.

"Wai - what answer?"

But he shook his head rapidly and pulled out of the parking spot. She watched him go, pushing her hands into her now empty jacket pockets. Well, the library better be worth it. Because she just gave the rest of her savings to a mole man. She kicked at the gravel.

After a moment she removed her hands from her hips and started towards the two large glass doors. Hopefully she'd find the answer to a question she didn't know soon. Right now, she had a meeting to focus on with some Fellowship donors.

The Woodrich Institution wasn't at all what she had been expecting. She had expected a nice mansion, instead she got an entire glass office building hidden in a vast estate, surrounded by forest. The sprawling estate was well taken care off, and the lawn still smelt of freshly cut grass.

The inside lobby was huge, veering off into several hallways and four floors. She knew the donations to the Fellowship of the Sun had been ample donations but she hadn't expected them to have this much money. She had to wonder why they had focused on the Fellowship, located in another state and seemingly unimportant. Well, unimportant before they were put on the news for the wrong reasons.

The secretary sent her towards the office of a Mr. Iles. The wooden door remained closed and Winn sat right outside on a chair, tapping her fingers against her thighs impatiently.

A minute later the door opened. It was a portly man, with a ruddy complexion and finely groomed moustache, and a suit more expensive than her previous rent. He gave her a wide smile. "You must be Winn Vik! I'm Derrick Iles, nice to meet you."

She shook his head; his pumped his hand up and down forcefully. She tried to politely take her hand back. "Yes, I am. Thank-you so much for meeting with me."

He moved to the side and made a sweeping gesture, "Well come on in!"

She nodded and shut the office door behind her.

"I apologise for the late meeting time, my schedule has been laughably hectic at the moment, especially with the whole Fellowship fiasco, god help us all. As long as our involvement doesn't go public, those inbreeds can sink with their ship." He took two crystal glasses from the cupboard and went over to sit behind his desk. "You know Steve Newlin and his wife well?"

"Yes, me and Newlin were sort of friends - used to be - before his whole . . . " she trailed off, allowing him to fill in the implication they wanted.

"It's a real embarrassment we worked with him, is what it is. We had the thought of putting our eggs in multiple baskets so to speak, but he proved maybe we should've just kept them to one."

"But you received the roses?" She asked, voice uncertain. The message was cryptic, and her only hope was that they believed she understood the cryptic messages as well.

His eyes flashed down and she saw anger in them. "Christ, Newlin really didn't hold back did he. How many people did he tell?"

Winn responded with a light shrug. "Only me, far as I can tell. He trusted me."

Derrick gave a loud exasperated sigh and shook his head. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and then waved an empty glass at her, "Want one?"

"I'm good, but thank-you for the offer."

Derrick shrugged. He eased himself into the leather seat opposite her. "The leech turned out to be more interesting than we suspected. We wanted to get it ourselves, maybe negotiate for a higher price. Our buyer is paying us more money than you could believe."

Winn tilted her head back. So the Institute was just the middle man. And they had wanted Godric for something.

"I'm sorry that the vampire got away. Perhaps the Fellowship of the Sun can supply another?" She asked, although she felt no weight behind her words. Winn couldn't go near the Fellowship again.

The lines besides his lips deepened as they pulled into a deep frown of discontent. He sighed heavily and shook his head. "Doesn't matter now, any other is useless to us."

Winn leaned forwards, interest piquing in his words. So they hadn't just wanted Godric for something, they had needed him specifically. Why?

Derrick took a long swig. "Now Ms. Vik, why are you interested in us?"

She rubbed her hands on her legs, peeved at the conversation change. She'd have to circle back to it later, if she tried asking more about Godric she'd either give away her cluelessness or raise his suspicion at her interest. "Weapons."

The corner of his lips turned upwards. "Weapons?"

"I want something that can kill vampires. I'm not just talking about stakes. But something more."

"You realise we're a little more bureaucratic, don't you?" He answered with a tight smile.

"Bureaucracy can be the most dangerous weapon when wielded right."

He gave a slow nod, "Right you are."

There was a long moments silence as he poured her a glass of whiskey. Finally, he spoke again. "The question is, how come you are so interested in killing vampires?"

Winn stared at him for a long moment and then licked her lips nervously. "My parents . . ."

He seemed to know where she was going, but wouldn't ease up. He raised a thick brow, daring her to continue.

Winn swallowed. Unable to look at him anymore her eyes slid to the ground, ringing her hands together. "It was late at night, and they were already dead by the time I got there . . . I couldn't-" she broke off, taking a deep breath, "It tried to kill me too. But I - I killed it before it could kill me."

He examined her and then leaned back into the chair. " _You_ killed a vampire?"

"There was lots of broken furniture. I used a wooden shard from the dining table." Finally her red-rimmed eyes met his. Her tears were genuine.

"You seem to have it under control then, I can't see you needing my help."

"I got lucky." She lied. "I know what they're capable of. You know what they're capable of. Both of us know there's too many to kill them one by one like this, hoping to get close to them, hoping to get lucky enough to catch them off guard. You all seemed smart, smart enough to think larger than just one bloodsucker."

He put the glass down again and stood up abruptly. "An interesting point you make. However, I don't know you, and you don't know me so well yet, either. Come meet my colleagues, we can discuss this in more depth."

Derrick opened the door and motioned for her to follow. Winn threw him an uneasy smile and followed. She supposed it was a good thing she was getting to know more of the workers at the Institution.

He knocked on a door, peaked his head in, and murmured something. And then a tall, thin man with a hair full of dark curls appeared. "I'm Matthew, nice to meet you." He greeted her with a handshake and a disingenuous smile.

"Winn Vik." She replied easily, going through the formal motions she was so used to.

They walked down the hallway together in polite chatter, talking about the weather, the drive up, and all trivial information. Finally they entered a nice room with mahogany panels and three nice leather seats, a coffee table in the middle. All of them sat down.

Derrick got his colleague up to speed. Matthew seemed mildly entertained by the story. Winn saw nothing amusing in this, lips remaining in a tight line.

"Something funny?" She asked, tone polite.

"Just your goal." His light blue eyes met with hers. They were too pale, like the colour was seeping out of them.

"I've spent the past few years creating connections and working my way up. And I'm not finished yet." Winn stared at the man in front of her unflinching.

Matthew regarded her, before slowly nodding. "Hm."

"Winn, anyone we find of interest and of a potential employee, we give them a little extra test, just to make sure they're earnest. We work with sensitive information here, you understand." Derrick explained.

"I understand."

Matthew opened a small black briefcase. Tugged snuggly inside were two vials. He held only one out and handed it to her.

Winn's eyes flickered from the vial to Matthew to the vial again. "What is this?"

"Don't worry about it, just drink it."

"I'm not drinking poison." Her head went to the door. She could get out before they could stop her, right? Her shoulder wasn't working, and her head still felt as if a block of cement was firmly nestled inside of her skull, but -

Derrick laughed. "It's not poison, Winn. All we want is a truthful conversation. The things we do here are very important and every deal we deal with highly sensitive information, so all we want to do is make sure that you can be trusted."

Matthew smirked. "Because right now, hun, sayin' that Newlin trusted you isn't enough for us to go out on a limb for you and take you into the fold."

"And if I don't drink whatever's in here?" She turned the vial upside down, the liquid sloshed heavily along. It looked like blood, but moved heavy as syrup.

An artificial smile was placed on Derricks face. "That's absolute no problem, Winn. If we have anything for you to do, we'll let you know."

"It'll just help you be more at ease." Matthew reassured. "Interviews can be stressful."

Winn pursed her lips. She didn't realise this had turned into an interview.

So if she didn't drink this, then that would be the end of their contact, and everything she had been chasing for the past few years would be for nought. They said it wasn't poison. She would have to believe them. Licking her lips nervously she popped the cap, and after another moment of deliberation she threw back her head and drank the contents of the liquid.

The sluggish liquid tasted bitter and crept down her throat. She spluttered as she leaned forwards, clutching the empty vial. Derrick patted her on the back.

"It doesn't taste very good, but you'll have forgotten about that in a few minutes." Derrick said sympathetically.

Matthew leaned back, placing his hands on his lap as his eyes became alive with near malicious amusement. "Vampires are a plague on this earth in every regard. Yet, they can have their uses."

Her stomach flipped as the liquid landed inside of her. It might not have been poison, but it felt like it. The side of her temples was becoming dewey with sweat.

"Can you tell us why you're here again?" Derrick asked with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

She clenched her hands as the tips of her fingers began feeling numb. "I want to help in getting rid of vampires. Permanently."

Matthew rubbed at his jaw impatiently. "Uh-huh, yeah. And you killed a vampire too, right? One that slaughtered your parents in cold blood, or somethin' like that."

The blood in her veins froze too ice. A split second later fire coursed through them. She blinked several times. _Tell them the truth. Lie. Truth. Fire. Run. Vampire, vampire, vampire. Truth. Blood. Death._ "Y-yes." The 's' was drawn out like the hissing of a snake.

Matthew leaned back and regarded her with scrutiny. "Wouldn't be the first time a vampire's used a human to find out our secrets. We're smarter than that. So, Winifred Vik: do you have any relations to any vampires?"

"At any point in your life?" Derrick added, hands resting in his lap.

Slowly she felt as if she was floating out of her body. She was babbling now, a long incoherent rambling about everything that had ever happened in her life. Or was she? Was it possible she was silent right now as the looked at her, waiting for an answer? Winn spoke, her voice overlapping with the rambling one. "No."

"At all?" Matthew pressed.

"I don't-" Winn rose out of her seat sluggishly. She blinked harshly, shutting out the world for a moment as she tried to regather her senses. _I wish to speak more with you. Every night._ "-know any vampires, personally."

Derrick regarded her. "But you know a vampire? You're safe to speak freely, Winn. We won't judge. This is a safe space." His voice was saccharine sweet.

The plaster from the walls cracked from floor to ceiling in the same sharp patterns as lightning. Why were they so interested in Godric - wasn't another vampire just as useful? A buzzing like hundreds of bees were swarming her filled her head. "No vampires."

Matthew and Derrick exchanged glances, seeming to approve of her answers. Their conversation between them was a low murmur.

"Maybe we can get her a desk job."

"We do the funding, not the inventions."

"So? She-"

"Is looking for a little more physical action. Can't blame her. Once you get the taste for blood it's difficult to go back to the normal life . . . what I wouldn't give to murder one of those soulless shits personally."

Matthew grinned. "I can think of something a little more physical. If I could get that lesbian from accounting to love my cock, then I can get anyone."

"Be glad Vik is drugged up and will likely forget this, or you'll be facing an HR disciplinary hearing." Derrick hissed impatiently. Matthew didn't seem bothered.

"Well I have a good feeling about her. Come on, that fuckin' fire and determination? Could use her in my office, bet she'd raise profits - and something else. First to enter, last to leave." Matthew said.

"Right, Buffy here is going to sit in an office job trying to make sure we get more funding." Derrick shook his head and sighed, reaching for the nearly empty glass.

"She wants the big picture. We offer her that. More funding means more money going out to more organisations means less vampires." Matthew said.

Derrick thought about it for a moment. "Fine." He turned back to Winn.

She opened her mouth and closed it. _I would advise you to be quiet now._ She had just wanted to ask them a question. But her mind was a blank canvas of which the underside was so jumbled with sensory overload it was melting off the side of the frame.

Matthew laced his hands together. "One last quest-"

But Winn finally turned the doorknob she had been fumbling with and stumbled out. Derrick called after her. The hallway seemed to never end and fear struck her. She may well be here forever, stuck to walk down the length of this hallway that would continue forever.

And then she was turning a corner. She turned several corners. Then she found the front lobby. She was floating besides her body. As she turned to walk out the doors she saw a well-dressed business woman, carrying a black briefcase with the words _Lady Diana Foundation_ written across of it. Lady Diana was talking with someone else.

She recognised the man from earlier - he had been high up. If he was trying to strike some kind of bargain with Lady Diana, she must be important. Then the woman quickly finished up the conversation and began heading out. She nearly bumped into Winn in the process.

The woman, brunette hair in a tight bun, glanced up at Winn. Her trimmed eyebrows rose in surprise, before giving a quick shake of the head at the state of the drugged girl and disappearing down a hallway. Each clack of her high heels vibrated inside of Winn's head.

The front door burst open and the fresh air felt like a slap in the face.

She felt as if she was running faster than the wind, straight towards the forest. But something was wrong. No matter how fast she went, she was always running in place, the forest always out of reach. No longer did she know if she was in a nightmare or if she was in a hallucinatory state. The moon began growing, larger than the earth itself; simultaneously with it shrinking to being the size of a penny. Blinking harshly she looked at the moon again. Still, it was constantly in flux, seemingly undecided about its size.

The grass began growing, and soon she was wading through gently swaying grass brushing against her hips. The trees loomed over her and then she broke through the forest line. With a cry she fell down, having tripped over a branch. One shoe came off and quickly she kicked off the other heel. Scrambling up she continued to her destination: the house. What house?

The answer was at the tip of her tongue . . . where _was_ she going, really? There was a direction she was headed in which she felt one-hundred percent certain in going. Oh, it didn't matter now. All she knew was that she had to keep running. Though she wasn't sure why.

Her heart floated out of her body, bumping right next to her, flying alongside her at the same pace. Her eyes flickered to look at the organ. "Go back inside your home." She muttered.

Suddenly she caught lights up ahead. There - that was where she needed to go. Winn didn't see the forest floor decline sharply and she ended up rolling down the hill, her clothes snagging on dead branches and brambles, ripping her clothes and tearing into her skin. Landing on a particularly sharp rock she let out a cry of pain, looking down, she saw her leg was opening bleeding. And then the pain disappeared. Her leg was still bleeding but suddenly she felt nothing at all, in fact her entire leg had gone numb.

Then for a brief moment it morphed into a wooden peg. Squeezing her eyes shut she shook her head. She had a leggy leg, made of real leg. Not anything woody wooden. Nope. Hesitantly opening one eye she looked down and breathed a sigh of relief. It was a real leg, but it was still jarring to see the blood and realise she felt nothing at all.

Standing up she hobbled towards the light to see a taxi had halted in the middle of the road. The driver didn't seem surprised to see her there. Getting in she looked at him. His head was a giant black balloon with large looming eyes. "I - the - house." Her tongue was too big for her mouth.

The taxi driver gave a sharp nod and began driving, flying down the road. Somehow the driver knew exactly where to go.

At the house he didn't ask for money, just reached over and opened up the door for her. She slid out on weak legs.

Someone was already outside like they had been expecting her. The figure walked towards her, all dressed in off-white.

With the moonlight shining down, he was outlined in a warm blue glow. His hair wore a crown of light.

"Are you an angel?" She asked.

But she didn't think angels could look so vexed.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Firstly, I'm sorry for the delayed updating. I have not forgotten or abandoned this story. I have been incredibly busy the past few weeks and the only time I've had for breaks was when my head hit the pillow to get a few hours of precious sleep. I can't guarantee weekly uploads at the moment 1. for being busy 2. I realise I need to add a few more chapters in the middle of my story. I'll do my very best to stick to weekly though.

1\. It looks like Winn just made her first (vampire) friend. But how curious she was made to 'babysit' . . . hmmm

2\. And so the mystery begins. Cryptic letters and a focus on Godric. Looks like Miss Winn Vik is going to be getting more than she bargained for on her hunt for her own vampire. The question really is: will she remember anything at all from tonight?

3\. I'm having fun slowly showing subtle parallels in personality between Winn and Eric, even if Winn will never admit it. Or Eric.

lastly, thank you for all of your reviews, favourites, follows and PM's! I promise to respond to all of them as soon as I can

-Five-Blues


	10. Star Sign

She blinked harshly and saw Godric standing there.

He reached out to her, looking at her with chagrin as his eyes flickered to the pulsing points at her neck and wrists, "Far from it. Come, little one."

"I'm not little." She mumbled, to which she was rewarded a breath of amusement. The look on his face softened. Godric seemed to put aside his incense for now. Perhaps it was at her bewildered, innocent expression as she looked at him with doe eyes. Or maybe it was the small voice she used in protest, reminiscent of a child. Suddenly the ground disappeared from underneath her and she clutched onto his arm, "I want to be on the ground."

"You are on the ground."

"No, I'm floating." She replied, her voice sounding hundreds of miles away to her own ears.

"I promise you, you are not. Can you trust me?" He asked.

Winn tore her eyes away from the ground and stared at him. The ground was moving as if a million tiny green ants had replaced the grass, and the moon seemed to be shrinking and growing larger simultaneously. Looking at the person in front of her was the only stable thing in her vision. And he was angel, even if he said he wasn't.

Winn gave a small nod, "Yes." Then she turned to look at him, "But you're angry with me."

"I was never angry with you."

"You lost your temper." She said. But it had been her fault, she had goaded him earlier at the party.

"Never would I place you in harms way like that." He answered. Was he confessing to calculated responses?

"Bu - oh." The ground moved and she forgot what she wanted to ask him.

Holding her by the arm he guided her to towards the house which loomed up from the ground, piercing the sky. She would have fallen if it wasn't for the strong body next to hers propping her up. She leaned heavily on him now as they walked up the stairs, arm slipping around his torso. Through his tunic she felt every contraction of his muscles as he lead her upwards.

Then she was led into the bathroom. Winn relished the feel of the cold caramel marble beneath her feet. The room was pitch black, but a few moments later candles lit up the room in a warm orange glow. He looked over his shoulder, "Eric is adverse to using electricity when he does not need too; do not fear that I am utilising your poor mental state."

Winn was looking curiously at a particular tile by his feet. She wasn't paying attention to his words at all. The flames danced and flickered, sending scattering shadows on the walls. He stood in front of her now, his voice came out slowly, "You are soiled and bloody. The water is already filling up in the tub, and then you can clean yourself off; a robe has already been laid out for you. The scent thats working its way through your blood, however, I cannot do anything about." His jaw tightened. "Let me know if you need anything." And then he was gone. The door closed with a gentle click.

Her body reacted to his words before her mind could. Slowly she peeled off the shirt, letting it fall to the ground. She had to lean against the wall for support in taking off her pants. The water had turned into an ocean and suddenly she forgot about taking off her simple black underwear all together. She had had a task of cleaning herself of from the dirt that caked her body. But - . . . she took small steps closer to the end of the bathtub.

The depths were limitless and dark as the oceans murky depths. Briefly she could smell the salty sea spray. There were three knocks on the door that seemed to vibrate though her bones. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the ocean. Time became meaningless.

A voice was speaking next to her, the words turned into a beautiful flock of canaries before they disappeared into a dark shadow in the corner of the room. The voice came back again, with more force, "Ms. Vik, can you hear me?"

She turned to look at him. His eyes were a brilliant blue, swimming with concern. He blinked and his dark lashes brushed against his cheeks. Winn gave a slow, clumsy nod. Hair fell into face, and then his fingers came up and lightly tucked it behind her ear. His fingers brushed against her flushed cheek, sending a trail of heat in its wake. "I am going to help you. If you object, you must say so."

Winn stared at him, drinking in his features. His ivory skin was such a contrast to his dark brown hair that it made the gentle blue of his eyes stand out even more impressively. In the back of her mind, a small voice of reason spoke: they may be gentle now, but those eyes could become as dark as the volatile sea in the midst of a storm.

The thought was interrupted like minnows scattering as he lifted her up with ease into the bathtub. For a moment she thought she was plummeting to the bottom of the ocean. Instead her feet found solid footing at the bottom of the grey stone bathtub. The water began to change, becoming lighter until it became translucent. Soapy bubbles filled the top in small clusters.

The smell of sweet chamomile rose gently with the steam. Funny, she mused, it was the exact same scent as the shampoo she always used. Her shoulders began relaxing with the calming scent. There was a heavy splash and she looked behind to her to see the vampire had hopped into the tub, fully clothed. Immediately the water soaked through he is pants up to his knees. "I hope you do not finding this imposing, but I fear for your consciousness. It would not be good form to let a guest drown."

"I'm fine." She mumbled.

And then she was guided to sitting down, slipping underneath the water. The water lapped at her collarbones. He eased into the water behind to her, unperturbed by his wet clothing.

His finger tips trailed down her arm, before his hand slipped away into the water. Winn looked upwards and let out a small gasp of surprise, forgetting entirely the situation at hand. The roof had disappeared, revealing the entire solar system. Stars by the millions were thrown across the sky, gases of blues and reds dancing along the darkness.

His hand moved up her arm, leaving a soapy trail. Placing the soap at the edge of the tub he began washing her dirty, bloodied arm with gentleness. "What do you see?"

"I can see the stars. All of them." Her voice was full of awe.

"Despite having an interest in humans, it is easy to forget your physical limitations." He let the water run down her arm.

"You see this? All the time?" Her eyes were wide as she took in all the stars.

"We are built only for the night." The soap had been lathered into her skin and she hissed as it stung her wounds. "The pain will not last much longer - Ms. Vik, how did you get yourself into the predicament of ingesting old vampire blood? You do not strike me as the type to consume it readily."

She frowned at the thinly veiled disdain in his voice. The steady repetitive movements up and down her arm was soothing; her eyes fluttered shut and she leaned back until she hit a strong chest. A small voice was hissing in the back of her mind, telling her to get herself out of this lucid state. And then the thought disapparated like smoke. For a brief moment she opened her eyes to see a sharp jaw.

"I did? I'm sorry. " She closed her eyes again. ". . . it was because . . . " She trailed off. The memories were far away.

There was the familiar _schnick_ -ing sound and her eyes flew open. She blinked several times, not understanding what was happening as his hand moved towards her arm. Her muscles felt heavy, like she was in a deep slumber. All she could do was watch.

His thumb trailed her wounds. And then she let out a shocked breath as the small cuts and wounds disappeared. It was as if she had never been hurt at all. Her face morphed into uncertainty - had there been any damage?

He took her other arm and his thumb stroked those cuts too. "It's a quick way to heal the wounds."

She made a small sound of surprise. Then her mind trailed back to what had happened earlier. What had happened? There was a house. There had been a reason she was there. Something to do with vampires. And there were conversations, though they played like silent glitchy movies in her head. There had been a small vial of liquid. It had been dark red.

She spoke slowly as she tried to recall the memories that seemed impossible to find, "I didn't know. They . . . said it was . . . an . . . interview. Needed to know I could . . . be trusted. And then the room changed and everyone's . . . faces . . . began melting. But I didn't anything about you or Eric. I didn't say anything."

"I know." His thumb glided across her collarbone.

They fell into silence for a moment. "I didn't . . . pay the taxi." She finally said.

"He was paid for long before you grew delusional."

She struggled to sit up but gave up a few seconds later. "I didn't tell you."

Winns memory was incoherent, but that much she could remember. She had told no vampire of where she was going. He shouldn't have known.

"I hope you don't think of me as a big enough fool not to have inspected the very corporation you were planning on entering."

Her eyes slid to the water lapping at the edge of the tub. "No. I didn't tell you."

"After two thousand years I have acquired some tricks. It would be unfitting of me not to know where my childe's kin was."

"Did you force me to tell you?"

"I will never force you to tell me anything." By the quick way his words had come out, she had hit a nerve.

Her nails began raking her arm absent-mindedly, creating red welts, as she tried to soothe the sudden itch that was un-ignorable.

His hands wrapped around her wrists and crossed her arms, effectively caging her in his embrace. "The feeling will pass." He murmured.

"Why did you pay for a taxi instead of coming yourself?"

"There were cameras everywhere. If I had personally been there to assist you on their soil, then they would realise what I am. I did not want to cause a bloodbath. What purpose what if have achieved?"

"On the ground?" She blinked. "But how could you-"

"A story for another time." He interrupted smoothly.

"You knew them?"

"I could not get close. Expierence had me taking precautions on your behalf. I suspected they were not as well intended as you may have lead yourself to believe."

She weakly attempted to shake her head. " . . . - didn't believe they were nice."

"Perhaps not. But you acted impulsively. What would have happened had I not assisted you?"

"But you were there." She whispered, eyes closed as she began to drift.

"Yes." He sounded strained, as if there was much more he wanted to say was was currently refraining from doing so knowing her current state.

"You're not . . . you're not like Him." Winn muttered.

He stiffened. "Like who?"

She began dozing off as darkness wrapped around her consciousness like a heavy blanket. And then he shook her. There was a violent shift in the water and the liquid sloshed over the sides. He was kneeling in front of her now. The grey shirt clung to his frame like a second skin, revealing every shift in his muscles.

His eyes darkened with an intensity that gripped her. He placed his hands on her arms and pulled her upwards, keeping her from slipping into the water. He gave her another gentle shake. "Winn, who are you speaking of?"

Feebly, she tried to get out of his grip. "The Vampire."

"What is his name?"

Her lids were growing heavy, darkening the room around her. "I don't know."

The water ran down her body as she was picked up and out of the bathtub. Then he disappeared. A moment later before she could sink onto the floor she was swiftly being pushed into the bathrobe. He was already back in dry clothing. And then she was picked up.

She let out a confused whimper as the room went from being a marbled bathroom to a wooden bedroom. It was too sudden and jarring for her mind. She was sat at the edge of the bed; Godric knelt down in front of her, fingers touching her hips just barely to keep her upright. The pressure was a featherlight touch. "This vampire - what does he look like?"

She opened her mouth and closed it. She couldn't say. The pull to stay quiet felt like a secret she knew she desperately had to keep at all costs.

With a small nod of understanding, his intensity diminished. "That's enough for now, I will not press you further tonight."

She looked at him, gratitude shining in her eyes. It hurt whenever someone asked. It hurt her head. She wasn't allowed to say anything.

"Ms. Vik I failed to tell you before, but a side effect of old blood is also lack of memory. You may remember fragments of this night, both before and after you drank the liquid, but you will not recollect the entire evening."

"Oh. S'okay I suppose." She yawned.

Winn crawled into bed, the rope of the bathrobe loosening, revealing the top of her freckled shoulders.

Godric stood up. "Get some rest now. You will stop feeling the effects come the morning."

As he got up to leave she wrapped her hand around his wrist and he looked down in surprise. "Can you stay?" She asked, voice small with uncertainty that he would reject her proposal.

After a long pause he gave a sharp nod.

She moved over, and after a moment, he gingerly sat next to her. He maintained a great distance between them, sitting stiffly as if the whole concept of her proposal was foreign to him.

It felt like a chasm. Inch by inch she wriggled over.

Slowly her hand crawled across the covers, until she reached the sleeve of the tunic. Godrics jaw tightened briefly as he looked down at her warily.

"Ms. Vik it is of great importance you realise I am helping you on behalf of my son."

"Yes."

"Our previous close contact was only due to making sure you did not drown."

"Yes."

"It was a simple necessity that is now out of the way."

"Yes."

"You know of my reputation and capabilities, to an extent." He said. She supposed it was a warning of some sort.

"Then stop me." She replied.

He stared at her incredulously, eyes glowing. "I see the blood had exacerbated the very determined aspect of your personality."

He paused, lips pressed together in a slight grimace. Finally he seemed to come to an understanding with himself. "If it will distract you from scratching yourself for the moment . . ."

She tugged impatiently on the sleeve. After a moment he seemed to understand, and seemed to cautiously moved downwards, until he permitted himself to half-lie.

"I won't do anything bad to you." She muttered.

"The day you do something bad is the day I can alter my past, Ms. Vik."

She frowned at his words, but she couldn't recall why they bothered her. After a moment she threw his words out the window.

"I know your other name. But you're not inhuman."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "You're naive."

"You're jaded."

Her hand crept from the tunic towards the exposed skin of his wrist.

Never had anything ever felt as soft as his skin. Her lips parted in amazement at the feeling. Slim fingers extending, she slid them down his palm, over the creases in his skin. Gently fingers untwined with his and she raised their enclosed hands. Bringing it up to her face she closed her eyes, sighing as his hand left a trail of pleasurable softness in its wake as she brushed her cheek against the back of his palm. Winn hummed in response at the cool feel.

As she laid down his hand again and slowly opened her eyes as she looked through her lashes up at him she found him staring at her.

"Tell me what you are feeling." His request was barely above a whisper, carefully to keep them cocooned in the peace she felt.

"Everything about you. It's so soft."

After a moment of what seemed like intense deliberation, his own fingers skated the back of her hand, and moved up her arm arm. The touch was so light she barely felt it at all. "Is that how you view me?"

"As soft?" Her hand began wandering, brushing the tattoo on his chest, partially hidden by the linen. Finding herself annoyed at the hindrance of the shirt her, hand glided into the tunic, fingers remaining near the hem; Godric froze.

For a moment she was sure he would disappear. After adjusting to the surprise intrusion he relaxed, more so than he had before. "Just so."

His fingers danced up her exposed forearm, moving upwards in a whimsical manner, seeming to be exploring, himself. His touch was so light she barely felt it at all. She began tracing the tattoo, loving the thrill of gentle hazy pleasure it sent dancing up her spine. "There is darkness in you . . . But you are much gentler, like an angel-"

Suddenly the atmosphere shifted, like the dropping temperature before the oncoming storm. His thumb brushed against the hollow of her throat. "You must not perceive me so. I have made the devil weep."

Her hands stopped their exploration and her eyes slowly made their way back to him at the resignation in his words. Winn rose a fraction, using his chest as leverage, moving closer. "Will you do the same to me?"

"Never would it be my intention too."

"But you can?" She whispered, so quietly she wasn't even sure he had heard.

He looked down at her. "I can not remember being around human frailty before."

"Then why are you here now?"

"Because of you."

She bit her lip, contemplating his words. The white curtain fluttered with the nights breeze. Finally she looked back up at him. "But . . . you like humanity, don't you?"

"I have only watched from the sidelines." His eyes flickered elsewhere. "The times I was involved in the past, I did so devoid of compassion."

She sank down slightly, back into the plush covers of the bed. If she moved forwards only slightly she could nuzzle the side of his throat.

Her hand reached out to trace the inky markings that stood bold against the alabaster skin of his bicep. The linen felt nice, but she was frustrated she couldn't bypass it to get to the cool skin beneath.

Her hand began snaking upwards, becoming curious about the movement in his throat as he drew in deeper breaths. His hand was on top of hers in an instant halting her movement, and he began to remove her hand.

His voice had become deeper. "That is enough for tonight, Ms. Vik."

"Bu-"

"Old blood from a weak vampire is beginning to make its way out of your system. You are still delusional."

She grimaced. "I'm not feeling so bad anymore."

"Sleep." It was a command, and one that had her stilling immediately. All of a sudden she felt his authority like a crashing wave. All she could do was nod meekly. Shoulders lowering, she moved away from him, creating some distance like he had wanted earlier.

Her face began reddening in shame at the reaction she had caused from him.

Upon her heart picking up he shifted to look at her. "There is no fault with you." He sighed. "Now close your eyes."

After a moment she followed his order, hands interlaced. Just as she wanted to ask him a question her breathing deepened as slumber gripped her.

It didn't take her long after to creep towards him again. Her fevered forehead rested against his shoulder. His finger was drumming on the bed at blurring speeds as he stared straight ahead, unblinking. She had stopped scratching herself. She had stopped hallucinating a while ago. There was no danger of her waking up until she was back in a right stage of mind. It was time to leave.

Winn murmured something incoherent in her sleep. Her head shifted, exposing her neck and he nearly recoiled as the stench of weak, dirty blood hit him. The vampiric instinct he had worked on taming for decades hissed within. His finger twitched as he wanted to shake her awake and scold her for daring to take the liquid. That scent that clung to her wasn't worthy of doing so. She hadn't known, but it was her prerogative to have known better.

His eyes slid shut and every muscle in his body tightened as he fought the instinct that startled him so. His discipline was stronger than that. He had told her he didn't think like a vampire anymore. What a terrible fabrication. Perhaps she had been correct. Perhaps he was only locking away a part of him he didn't want to believe existed any longer.

Her scent was all over him, mingling with his own. He should watch it off immediately. Instead he remained.

* * *

 **A/N:**

The previous Godric-less chapter was a necessary evil. Hope this chapter makes up for it!

To Guest: Thank you for your lovely review! Hope this chapter is up to satisfaction.


	11. Electric Habitats

She made her way out onto the balcony that overlooked the vast forest. Cicadas chirped and the humid air moved lazily. Despite taking a painkiller and chugging down a litre of water her head was still throbbing and she felt mildly nauseous. It felt like an awful hangover. As long as she didn't vomit again. That was the first thing she had done when she awoke as the sun was setting.

There was a creak as the door slid open.

As she turned to look she found him already by the balcony railing. Winn didn't flinch. Turning around she gave him a half-wave in greeting. As she saw him she felt like there was something at the tip of her tongue. Trying to grab onto the thought was like smoke slipping through her fingers. Finally, Godric broke the silence.

"Are you feeling better, Ms. Vik?"

She gave a soft smile and played with her hands. "I think after we shared a bathtub together you can call me Winn."

He offered her a brief smile in return, so fast she thought she had imagined it, and bowed his head slightly. "Are you feeling better, Winn?"

The smile faded. "Yeah, besides the hangover. What I drank . . . . you said it was vampire blood?"

He nodded.

Winn swallowed. "Am I addicted?"

His eyes flickered between her eyes, seeming to contemplate several responses. "Let us hope not." He finished stiffly.

She looked out over the dark forest. "Yeah, let's hope not." She muttered.

Finally she looked back at him, to find his gaze had never left hers. It made her uncertain. Why was he continuing to look at her?

"What happened . . ." She fiddled with some peeling paint on the balcony railing, "I can't really remember much, just bits and pieces. And I know you didn't do anything to me, even when you could have. But you didn't." Finally she looked up at him. "You did more than what most humans would do. What I'm trying to say is: thank you."

His face was a careful mask of neutrality. "It was the right thing to do."

She bit her lip. "I know you just - you just did it out of some sense of duty, still . . . thank you. I mean it."

He tilted his head in acknowledgement.

She wrapped her arms around herself. "If I was a nuisance -"

"You do not have to apologise for how you acted. But you have some thinking to do."

"Why's that?"

"The situation you found yourself in demonstrated your abilities of being reckless and impulsive."

Her narrowed her eyes. "Do you think I would have willingly taken that blood if I had known?"

"No. That is my point, you were not in control of your emotions. You never play into someones hand when the true nature of their intentions are shrouded."

Winn sighed heavily. "Well, hindsight is twenty-twenty, isn't it?"

He didn't look the least bit amused.

"Every situation I go into is a risk with a lot of reward in it, but also losses. But you were there, and that's what matters. Speculating alternatives is pointless."

He tensed in frustration. "Preparation is success. You could have been gravelly harmed by those humans, perhaps even murdered and you would have been wholly unprepared to attempt to defend yourself."

" _Attempt_ to defend myself? I can defend myself just fine, when I'm not drugged. And thanks. I guess the general consensus is that nothing good came from that meeting." She muttered.

His eyes flickered across his face, taking in her pinched expression. "The drug did alter your mental state, enough that you were able to partially break through the glamour placed upon you."

"What do you mean?" She asked warily.

"You told me the vampire was male."

Her heart began racing. "I broke through?"

"That was all you could say."

Her thoughts were spinning faster than a cyclone. "So I hallucinated, but I also managed to break through. What if I take more bloo-"

"You will not." He cut her off sharply.

"Godric please-"

"This is no discussion."

She ran her hands through her hair. "This isn't about addiction," she snapped, "what if I could break through completely? I can finally warn people. I can make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else ever again."

"Glamour does not work like that. It was chance that allowed you to say something, and that was all. I am sorry."

They stared at each other unblinking. Winn pressed her lips into a tight line. Laws. That must be why he was so against it. "I know it's illegal. I won't say any more."

"The legality is irrelevant." He said brusquely.

She frowned.

"That blood you willingly took was not just old, but from a very weak vampire." Godric said. The insult in _willingly_ was more than evident.

"I don't understand." She said slowly. Wasn't it better then, that it came from a weak vampire?

"You are human." He spoke through clenched teeth with forced restraint, as if his words explained it all.

She crossed her arms tightly. "I know. What does that have to do with how strong or not a vampire is? What does it matter?"

He switched gears. "You will never be strong enough for the path you are carving for yourself."

She stiffened in response. "You don't get to decide that. And who are you to tell me how to be or who to be?"

"Winn-"

"I didn't ask you to help me." The euphoria she felt from breaking through the compulsion was quickly fading. She shook her head and turned away from him. "Don't concern yourself with me."

She was inside before he could reply. Quickly she gathered her things. Yesterday night Eric had promised her the money, finally. She wasn't leaving until she got it.

 **-0-**

She drove to Fangtasia in a sour mood, the conversation between the two of them looping in her head. She knew better than him she shouldn't have taken the blood. It had been an utter lack of control and she had been at the mercy of Godric. But she had thanked him, and she truly meant it. Why couldn't he have left it at that? Winn slammed the car door shut after her.

While the bar was closed tonight, the door was open. Winn walked over to Pam who was setting up the bar behind the counter.

Pam looked at her up and down like she was a mangled mongrel. "We really are just letting in anyone these days."

"Maybe if your face spent more in the accounting books than between someones legs you could afford to be selective."

Winn knew she should apologise before Pam ripped her head off. Inside, she stared at the vampire. The hangover continued to hit the back of her skull like a jackhammer.

"Hm." Was the reply she got. Whether Pam was pissed or entertained was something only Pam would know.

"Where's Eric?"

"In the basement."

Winn pointed to the general direction she figured it would be in. Pam nodded, but something in her expression had changed to make Winn suspicious of her intention. Hesitantly she opened the basement door, waiting for Pam to shove her down the stairs and lock the door in revenge.

As she began descending she squinted her eyes, adjusting to the darkness.

Where was he? She could hear sounds and her muscles tightened. Pam was leading her into a trap. She swore internally. But her feet continued down the stairs anyway.

Something was moving into the distant dark of the basement. She leaned forwards, and let out a yelp as she squeezed her eyes shut and raised her hands in front just for good measure.

The sounds, which had undeniably been sex sounds now that she thought about it, stopped. Oh she was going to need bleach for that. Pam had definitely lead her into this situation knowing what was going on. Winn didn't know if this was better than a violent situation.

"Evening, Winnie." He drawled.

"Can we not do this here?"

"See something you don't like?" He purred, thoroughly enjoying the situation.

"Well, yes, everything. I don't know how things were back in 'ye old days, but today we tend to view looking at family members in that sort of light as, you know, frowned upon." Her hands were still over her eyes, but she could sense Erics nearness.

Being unnerved was an understatement.

There was a soft gust of air and when she peaked out of her fingers Eric was gone. His voice behind her made her jump and she spun around to see him half-dressed. "You're so easy it's not even a sport."

He was all angles and toned muscle. Damn if she wanted to ask him what he did to get into such good shape. But all she would do is feed is abnormal sized ego and get no answer besides something sarcastic or sardonic and not at all helpful.

"What a shame." Her voice held no pity. Then she thought of something, "You haven't - . . . how long have you been down here?"

"Only six hours." He shrugged.

Her jaw dropped, and then her face transformed into horror. " _Six?"_

 _"_ If you think my stamina is impressive, then you should see how long Godri-"

"Stop!" She cried, face still full of horror. "Stop. I do not want to hear more. I regret asking. Pretend I never asked." Instantly Winn felt pity for the woman behind her, still chained to whatever medieval metallic wheel Eric and Pam had set up in the basement.

"Well if you're not here to inquire about my legendary sexual prowess, then I'm all out of ideas on why you would possibly be here."

"You really do have super strength if you can still manage to hold your egoistically head upright. I'm here for the money." She wrinkled her nose. The last thing she wanted to know what anything about what went on this basement, and wherever and whoever else he laid claim too. _Vikings,_ she thought.

"Money?" He questioned.

"The money you promised me." Winn wasn't sure what game he was playing. "I'm beginning to wonder about your memory . . . and as your only surviving family member, it really is my duty to put the old and senile in a nursing home."

"I am naked to pole, I am five second from orgasm, and Eric you choose this time to speak with little girl?" Clearly the woman was Eastern European was non to fond of the interruption. "If walking into basement was all it took to get your attention then I would have done that long time ago."

Winn pursed her lips. "She's right you know. I mean about the being tied to a pole for six hours, not the getting your attention part."

Eric looked over his shoulder, "Shut up Yvetta."

"Or do I need to learn Scandinavian to keep your attention?"

The Viking looked up at the ceiling in loathing. "Upstairs. We'll discuss this further in my office." Then he turned to Yvetta, switching back to English. "Stay or don't, I don't care."

Yvetta shot him a searing glare. Winn went up the stairs first, Eric following closely behind. For a moment she was close to telling Yvetta she should've known Eric Northman was not to be trusted with anything. Then she decided against it. If someone decided to get into bed, or shackle, with Eric Northman knowing his personality all following consequences really couldn't be pitied.

"Pam?" Eric asked.

"Oops." Was all she answered with, not looking the least bit sorry. Pam threw her a victorious look and Winn's eyes went heavenward. So that was the petty vengeance she received for snapping back at Pam. Still, it could have been much worse.

The door shut behind them. Winn took a step back to distance herself from the vampire in front of her.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something he closed it as a strange expression overcame him. And then he yanked her forwards.

He turned her head to the side and ran his nose along ear and into her messy hair. Eric inhaled deeply, gripping her tightly.

"Just because we're in the south doesn't mean I'm interested in incest. Let me go." She snapped, attempting to wrestle out of his tight grip.

"His scent is all over you." He pulled away from her, put kept his hands wrapped around her shoulder and bicep. "Up to no good, Winnie?"

"It's nothing."

"Oh I certainly wouldn't say so." He murmured. Winn didn't need to be friends with Eric to know the gears in his brain were turning so fast there was bound to be steam coming out of his ears soon. "Interesting."

"You can ponder it further after you've left me go."

"I would like to know why I can smell him . . . on your arms . . . your back . . . your hair . . . your _neck._ " His gaze slid slowly over her with each emphasis of her body parts.

Self-conciously she placed a hand on her neck. "Does it matter?"

Eric crossed his arms and leaned against the desk. "I'd like to alter our deal."

"No."

He ignored her. "I'll triple what you were already getting if you let him feed from you."

"Jesus Christ. Eric, the money. Just the money you owe me. Nothing more or less." There was no one she was going to be paid to be some fangbanger. "Get one of your strippers to give him blood."

He glanced at her and sighed. Eric made no sign he had listened to her last sentence. Taking slow strides as he moved at his own leisure pace he made his way around the desk. Opening it up he searched around and came back with dollars. He pushed them into her hand.

As she began counting the money the crease in her forehead deepened. She looked up at him. "This is only five-hundred dollars."

"It is."

"Where the hell is the rest of the money?"

"With me." He drawled.

"Then give it to me."

"All in due time, Winifred."

"That wasn't what we agreed upon!"

"I don't ever recall agreeing upon how the money was going to be given. So I decided you'd have it in set sums throughout the upcoming weeks."

Her eyebrows shot up. "You're joking."

"Always read the terms and conditions, Winnie." He smirked.

She wanted to shoot him right in his smug face. Bastard. "Then I want you to double the amount for the pain you've caused."

"Look at you getting more confident. Mm, we can agree on that." He began, until his eyes darkened between the time it took her to blink and he lunged forwards, grabbing her wrist. "What a fucking plot twist. It is always the most vocal ones who turn out to be the biggest hypocrites."

"What the hell are you on about?" She tried to rip her wrist back.

"Blood. Old blood, too. Looks like someone might've missed the due date on when to throw your cheap V out. You really should have a word with your dealer."

"I don't have a dealer." She snapped.

"Then how did you end up with V, little breather?" He hissed.

"By accident."

"When Godric was missing I thought they were stealing his blood, selling it on the black market. Is that why you joined, Winnie? Hoping to get my Makers blood?"

"What is wrong with you, no!"

"I always did wonder if it was fate or coincidence that made you walk into my bar that night. Perhaps it was very intentional on your part."

"You're more delusional than I was. Why does his blood matter so much?" She snapped, futilely wrestling to get free of his grip.

"He is over twice my age. His blood is _very_ valuable."

"I don't want his blood, I don't want to drink anyones fucking blood - let me go!"

He sneered at her again, then released her. She stumbled into the wall.

"And yet, you did." His whispered words were sharp as a knifes blade.

"I didn't know, alright? I didn't know what they had given me. Do I look like a V addict to you?"

He tilted his head. "Humans do tend to numb their pain through very stupid means. Or perhaps, you secretly just wanted to get _really_ close and personal with vampires."

"Fuck you." She hissed.

"V in your system. Godric all over you? Even you can see the coincidence."

"He helped me, alright? Apparently he has some moral obligations to humans or something like that."

The words seemed like news to Eric, but he quickly masked his expression. "You better tell me how you got that V then, little human."

She didn't answer him. He grabbed the lapels of the jacket and pushed her against the wall. A lazy smile appeared on his face. "Come on, teacup. Just a name or two."

Teacup? What the hell was she, an inanimate object? Her hands wrapped around his wrists, struggling to get rid of him. It was futile. She swallowed. "What will you do to them?"

"Just pay them a visit." He said with a charming smile, one that sent the hair rising on the back of her neck.

"I won't tell you if you're going to murder them."

"Of course I won't."

"Promise me."

He rolled his eyes.

"I'm not giving up anything until you tell me what you're going to do."

"Make sure they're not selling or creating any products they really shouldn't be, and having a friendly little chat to make sure they know the consequences if they decide to ignore my threat. Happy?"

Her eyes flickered over his face, trying to gauge how genuine his words were. "Fine. It's called the Woodrich Institution."

He released her. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Since I know you'll go back on your word and kill them all because you have zero morals, I'm going to give them a warning."

He took a step closer to her, his sheer height a physical intimidation tactic. His eyes flickered up and down her in feigned disinterest. "You do not know the first thing about me."

"And I don't want to." She shot back.

Eric ground his teeth once. "He hasn't fed in too long. Give him your blood, and I'll forget your little run in with our laws."

"You really strike me as someone who cares about laws, Viking." She said with sarcasm.

"As the Sheriff it _is_ my duty to report anything illegal to my queen. It'll be less painful for you if I say nothing at all."

"So you're blackmailing me into giving my blood to your Maker in order not to be turned into some vampire authority?"

He hummed in agreement.

"Well you can take your blackmail and shove it up your ass. I will not be forced to give up my blood. It is _mine_. So if you're going to be a rat, go for it." She hissed. The only way she was giving anyone blood was being forced into it.

He narrowed his eyes at the insult and rose from the desk. "Just think of it as a blood donation, one which you will survive. You owe him for saving you when you were stabbed."

She rubbed her temple. "And I protected him in Dallas so I'd save we're even."

"Why does it matter so much whether your blood is extracted from catheter or fang?"

Winn crossed her arms, glaring at him. "I haven't agreed to get my blood taken by needle either, don't get ahead of yourself."

"That wasn't my point, Winnie."

She licked the back of her teeth. "If you aren't going to give me anymore money right now, then I'm leaving."

As she turned to leave her gripped her unbruised arm. Her head whipped around to glare at him. "He needs blood, Winn. Give it to him. If that little vampire you're chasing decides to take a U-Turn and heads straight for you, then you will have Godrics protection at full strength."

"I'm not going to begin trading my blood for protection. I can defend myself just fine on my own."

He snorted, eyes going to the shoulder where the wound was still healing beneath her clothes. Winn narrowed her eyes. "Let me go." She shrugged out of her grip. He didn't stop her.

His eyes followed her as she left. Her arm was throbbing dully as the bruise began forming, outlining five distinct fingers.

 **-0-**

Back at the house she headed straight upstairs to take a shower. As the room began filling with steam she lifted up her arm and inhaled. All she could smell was herself. With a shake of her head she discarded her clothes in the corner and stepped into the shower. Taking her time she was sure to lather the soap into every part of her skin.

It was true she couldn't remember everything during her hallucinatory stage. But she had remembered feeling safe. He hadn't bitten her, that much she was sure about. That much Eric was sure about too. She knew he hadn't taken advantage of her. What she couldn't figure out, is how she had gotten close enough to him to apparently smell of him. Part of her didn't want to ask.

She turned off the water. With a sigh she stepped out, goosebumps instantly rippling across bare flesh. She threw on sweatpants and a tank top before heading downstairs.

Winn found Godric in the living room, reading a book.

When he looked up he didn't seem to have held onto any emotion from their last conversation.

"Is it a good book?" She asked, nearly timidly.

"I would be turning the pages much faster if I did not already know the ending."

"Well if you're re-reading it, then it must be good."

"Yes." He placed the book in his lap. "Were you having a good night before the Institution?"

Slowly she sat down on the couch, gathering her wet strands around one shoulder. "I guess." She said. She was still waiting for him to lecture her again, or scold her. Maybe his question was some sort of trick to lead her back into a defensive argument. But he remained silent, prompting her to continue. "I met a new vampire."

His face was so neutral she had no possible idea what he was thinking. "How did you find it?"

She shrugged. "It was . . . unexpected."

He waited for her to elaborate.

"Jessica Hamby. She was nice. She was - its as if she was human."

"The closer to turning a vampire is, the more human traits they show."

Winn tugged her legs up and placed her chin on them. "How are vampires turned?"

He didn't answer her question as he closed the book. "Jessica Hamby was turned against her will."

Winn hadn't expected that. Her brows shot up. "But she seems so happy."

"She has a kind Maker."

Bill had seemed more like an apathetic maker more than anything. If that constituted as good, she wondered what was considered bad. "I looked her up. It says she's been listed as a Missing Persons."

He gave a short nod. "Fledgings have difficulty controlling their impulses and their heightened emotions. One second they may feel an intense lust they are wholly unprepared for, then a split second later they can feel an all-consuming rage as a human memory is triggered in their minds. They are a slave to their instincts."

Jess hadn't seemed that way. "So they're just killed off in the human world, then."

"It is simpler, this way."

"Sounds lazier."

"Jessica Hamby nearly murdered her father in a fit of rage after recalling his abuse in her human life. She was going to do it in front of her human sibling and mother." He said, then saw her reaction. "The fledgling appears fond of you. While it is highly unlikely she would ever harm you, it is a possibility to entertain."

Her brow furrowed. "How do you know Jess?"

"I know every vampire who surrounds a territory I reside in." He answered.

Winn shook her head, circling back to his explanation. "Taking someone agains their will and turning them isn't right."

"No." He whispered. "It is a good thing Jess relishes the newfound freedom and gift she had received."

She stared at him, dumbfounded. "Gift? She was turned when she didn't want too, and then she's denied connecting with the things that are familiar with her? That's no gift. That's barbaric." She spat.

"If Bill Compton had not controlled his progeny, how do you think it would be for her remaining human relatives to see the blood splattered everywhere - an act committed by their own kin? Or perhaps, fuelled in bloodlust she would have taken their lives too before even realising that atrocity she committed."

Winn bit her lip.

"How do you believe she would feel once she had committed the act, when the overwhelming flood of emotions rolled back like the tide?"

"Yeah, I understand." Her throat felt dry.

"The act of separation is done for the good of all involved. A vampire like Jessica cares about her family, and to have to live with a terrible act done merely on impulse for eternity is quite a long time."

She wrapped her arms tighter around her legs. "I . . . guess it makes sense."

"There is a reason to the things we do. Most vampires do not act out of malice, but without training and rules in place, they regress to reactionary instinct." His eyes were gentle as he explained.

All she could do was nod. It was more information to take in, and she was already exhausted tonight. The maker-progeny relationship was beginning to make more sense.

"Makers create vampires. But what are Masters? Do they exist?"

His eyes grew distant. "The only official term is a Maker, or Creator depending on the culture. A master, think of it as an unofficial term. They force the progeny to do a host of things by force they would otherwise not do. It is not merely a relationship between Maker and Progeny but Master and Slave."

The bond between Maker and progeny. That bond was stronger than she had initially thought. Godric picked up the book again, snapping out of his thoughts.

Her head rested against the sofa pillow. She tried to keep her eyes half-lidded with sleep open. He flipped a page.

"Did you have a nice Maker?"

"I grew up in a different time." He didn't look at her.

"Is your Maker still alive?"

There was such a long pause she was sure he was never going to answer. "It's getting late."

She forced her eyes open and saw him looking at her with an expression she couldn't decipher. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you."

"Curiosity is no cause for offence." He replied. Godric didn't elaborate. She heard another page turn. She didn't want to disturb him further.

There came the nagging feeling again, like there was something she had to tell him, something that was at the tip of her tongue. But it wasn't coming to her. In the silence that ensued Winn was lulled into sleep, heading lolling against her elbow propped up on the pillow. Strands of hair obscured her face.

In the darkness her dreams were filled with a sun, high in the sky despite standing in a field in the middle of the night. It warmed her face as the suns rays fell only on her. In the distance, coming out of the forest was a figure. Before the figure could come closer she awoke.

She stirred and then opened her eyes. She looked questioningly at Godric who was kneeling right in front of her. Winn blinked sluggishly, still caught in the web of sleep. Her brow drew together questioningly and she made a small sound in the back of her throat.

"You were cold." He replied, pulling up the knitted blanket around her shoulders. His knuckle brushed her exposed collarbone.

"Thanks." She breathed with a small smile, hands going up to secure the blanket wouldn't fall down again.

Godric stood up.

"Where are you going?" She asked, beginning to sit up a little straighter.

"Nowhere."

She pulled the blanket tighter. "What time is it?"

"Five."

"Hm." She closed her eyes again as he went back to sit in the leather chair.

Somewhere between consciousness and dreaming, she began speaking again. "Is there a debt?"

Winn didn't need to open her eyes to know he was looking at her with confusion. "Debt?"

"When I stepped in front of you."

It sounded as if he breathed a laugh. The book closed and was placed on the table. "There is nothing for you to settle - on the contrary."

"That's why you saved me when I was on the influence of V, wasn't it?"

"No, Winn. It has nothing to do with the perceived debt you keep imagining."

"I don't understand." She sighed. "I don't understand why you're here at all."

"Life is vast and makes little intrinsic sense."

Her lips twitched, threatening to tug downwards. "I mean with me. Eric's in Fangtasia."

"I have chosen to spend the evening here to make sure you felt comfortable."

"Do you want to leave?" She asked.

"Do you want me to leave?"

She tugged at a loose thread on the blanket. "I - not if you don't want too." Finally she looked up. She hadn't even heard him stand up. He moved lighter than a cat. "Do you ever want to be human again?"

He sat on the couch next to her, maintaining a polite distance. "There is no use in pondering the impossible."

Winn moved around so that her whole body faced him. "Would you, if you were given the possibility?"

"With the difference of being able to feel warmth again, then it is unimaginable a transition."

The familiar grinding sound of the sunblocking blinds began descending down all windows and doors. Sunrise was only minutes away.

"You feel cold all the time?"

"That is why we seek humans whether it is a subconscious decision or not. We can never expierence the sun again, but for just a small while we can remember what heat feels like. But it is mere speculation. There are some things about our existence in which we will never get an answer."

She played with the fringes of the blanket and breathed a sigh. "I just don't understand how you can be biological definition dead, and yet you're alive. You're Schrödingers species."

"To humanity's understanding, we have never been more dead. To our understanding, we have never been more alive."

Winn recalled some stories she had seen on blogs about ingesting vampire blood, about being full of energy and euphoria, about feeling alive with the same adrenaline rush that came from extreme sports. "Is that why humans become addicted to vampire blood?"

"They feel better than they've ever felt before."

Winn wrinkled her nose. She had felt terrible.

"The fresher the blood the closer to the feeling what I have only heard as being filled with life." He elaborated.

Right, Eric had said something about Godrics blood. There was something about him being an older vampire.

"What would happen if I drank your blood?" She asked. Immediately she regretted as she felt a sharp change in the atmosphere and a piercing gaze that seemed to go straight into her soul.

And then she heard a familiar sound, saving her from the situation. A ringtone. Her phone was ringing. And she didn't have long to answer it. She sprinted out the room, yanking the door wide open. Skidding into the kitchen she dove for her charging phone by the kitchen island. Her fingers hastily jammed Accept.

"Ms. Vik, I hope this isn't a bad time." A prim voice asked. Winn was lucky to be awake at six in the morning.

"No, not at all." She tried to hide her laboured breathing. Her eyes flickered up to see Godric already standing by her, looking at her curiously. Quickly she glanced away. Whatever look she had caused from her previous question was masked for the most part, but it was still lurking in the depth of his eyes.

"We spoke last week, if you recall."

"Of course." She answered.

"We enjoyed your motivation and feel you would fit well with our sacred library. Still, we need you to answer something for us." The womans voice said.

"Anything." She replied quickly.

" _Ultima ratio regum?_ " The woman asked. Winn froze. It was Latin, that much she recognised. But her mind was failing her, and the sentence had seemed to hit a dead end in her mind. It was a question, that much she was certain of with the inflection. Her hand tightened into a fist.

"I - I - " She stuttered. No, she couldn't fail now. She was so close to getting a step further to finding the Vampire. She rubbed her face harshly with her hand.

" _Tormento_." Godric answered gently. Winn immediately repeated it.

She knew the female was smiling on the other end. "Thank you Ms. Vik. You're the fastest reply we've had yet . . . if we ever get one, that is. Be at the library this Thursday at six P.M., don't be late. We will send you the address."

And then the unnamed woman hung up.

The library had given her a riddle, and in Latin no less. So that had been the surprise phone call. She wondered how many failed.

Then she turned around to face Godric. " _Tormento_?"

"Cannon. The last resort to kill a king is by cannon, so the saying goes."

" _Pulveri pyrio."_ She murmured, "Gunpowder. Always the last resort."

The corners of his lips were threatening to tug downwards in a frown.

"What?"

Then he shook his head, as if dismissing the idea that had formed. "It is nothing. I have just experienced that it is wise to be wary around those who use riddles."

"It's just a library."

"Would that the world were always so simple."

"Sometimes it is." She fired back, not liking the tone he was using, as if she were naive.

"Why would a library ask you to answer a riddle, in Latin no less?"

"They say it's a library filled with books on the supernatural. Maybe they just want to keep people who aren't serious about the literature away. Some of the books are bound to be old."

His eyes lit up with interest. "A library on the supernatural?"

"Apparently so."

As fast as his interest had flared, it gave way to skepticism. "Here in Louisiana?"

"I didn't choose the location."

He paused before replying. "Winn, you are not going alone."

"What happened at the Institute was just bad luck . . . and fine, I shouldn't have trusted them, I get it. But those people at the library aren't the same as those at the Institute."

"And if it turns out they are keen on harming you for your interest in this supernatural library, what are you defences?"

She looked up at the ceiling in acute frustration. "What is with you and my ability to defend myself? I have a gun and a knife. I am more than fine. If this is about that one time I bled on your - or Erics - carpet, then I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

His jaw tightened again. "This is about you recovering slowly from one injury, and throwing yourself into a new situation without having properly assessed it from all angles."

"It's a library!" She cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "What is there to assess?"

"You will not know until you begin. Is there a reason you are being so obstinate?"

"I am not being - look, I can handle myself just fine." She sighed. "And what happens to me, it doesn't matter anyway, I don't care. As long as I get what I need."

His eyes hardened. "The end only works if the means keep you alive until then. And how will you transport yourself out there?"

"I'll take a taxi."

"And if you do happen to need to drive away in a hurry, are you expecting the taxi to wait for you?"

Winn sighed heavily. "The place I'm going isn't overly fond of vampires. So-"

"It would not be the first time I have dealt with humans who do not like our kind."

She chewed her lower lip. She supposed she did owe him for providing her with an answer to that lady's question. "Can you drive?"

"Naturally." He answered smoothly as his shoulders relaxed. So smoothly she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Sitting in a metal box with someone who didn't know how to operate it was uncomfortable.

Then again Jess had figured out how to use the car. Winn didn't prod him further on his 'natural' understanding of cars.

She looked down at her watch and then up at him in surprise. "It's six twenty-seven. The sun's already up. How are you still here?"

He gestured to the blinds. "As long as the sun does not penetrate those blinds, it is no cause for concern."

She looked at the blind and them back to him. "I thought you had to sleep when the sun went up."

"Age and training allows me to stay up past the sun rise."

"Huh." She shook her head. "Well, I need a driver, so if you want to drive on the condition you don't keep scolding me for having average human response times, then you can come if you want."

Winn just stared at him. Her head couldn't keep up with his mood switches he had been issuing her today and she couldn't understand why he was voluntarily staying, something that had been nagging her for the past few days. Winn had to stay until she got the money, but he could travel anywhere he wanted. He raised a brow. "I am not scolding you, merely-"

"Stop right there. I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I don't want to be a part of it, alright? I'm too busy being bad at assessing my environment and other such fallible humans activities. So if you can just tell me what you're doing? "

He seemed deeply amused, eyes glittering with light. "Patience is a virtue, so I've heard. And I am not pretending, Winn. I am much too old to play games."

"I'm printing you a notecard that says 'Vague'. You can hold it up anytime I ask you a question and you ignore it." Winn grumbled.

Godric took the keys for the car and dangled them in front of her - it appeared to be a peace offering. "Forgive me, I am not used to being as direct as you."

She didn't know whether that was an insult or not. Deftly she took the car keys from his outstretched hand. "Well you could start now."

He threw her a apologetic look.

She sighed. "Alright, well, I guess I'll see you here when the sun goes down then."

Then it was time to go to the supernatural library who's staff wasn't keen on vampires. That shouldn't trigger any rash responses.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Guest 1: thank you kind guest! Slow burns, so satisfying when something happens . . . and yeah Winn is going to go further down the rabbit hole and likely drag a certain vampire(s) down with her as she goes.

Guest 2: Thanks! :) I'm doing my best to really show the divide between human and vampire. When I was rewatching the Dallas nest scenes I noticed he seemed so far removed in his responses when interacting with Jason it was simultaneously awkward and comical. With Sookie it was basically indirect contact he had with her, speaking on her behalf. And when it comes to Isabels human he speaks to Isabel directly, but not to her human lover. So it's been my interpretation he's as vampire as they get - although wise and calm and all that. I will neither confirm nor deny he wants her ;) And yeah I think in this chapter we see them start to clash over her being very human and very vulnerable in his eyes. We'll see more trust developing between them in the next chapter and onwards.  
Answer: Just weak in comparison to Godric's own. We know Godric thinks of blood as sacred, so a) Winn drinking random blood (ergo without meaning/weight behind the actions) and b) Winn drinking weak blood is going to peeve him.

Guest 3&4 thanks for the reviews lovely readers!


	12. Supernatural Gothic

Yawning Winn slid into the car seat. She had fallen asleep for a brief nap and was awoken by Godric who had made her a cup of coffee. She was so surprised by his gesture she had mumbled a tired thanks before taking a sip and had to hide her grimace as she swallowed the contents. He hadn't run the coffee grinds through the filter. As she blinked away the sleep she could see them floating at the top of the mug.

Well, she was awake now.

Godric shut the car door. His fingers began hovering across various dials in the car before settling on the gear. He tried moving it several times, feet pressing on the pedals on the floor to make the car work.

Winn crossed her arms. "I asked you if you could drive and you told me yes."

"I believe my answer was 'naturally'."

"Another way of saying yes."

"Or to mean having a natural affinity for learning how to drive."

She ran her hand through her hair. "That's a fairly big leap in interpretation."

"But an apt interpretation none-the-less."

Instead of a reply she sunk into her seat in aggravation.

After a jumpy start he got out of the drive way and onto the backwood roads. But he hadn't been exaggerating. Not only did he figure out how to drive in minutes, but his driving was much smoother than Jess's.

In a few minutes he had seemed to figure out the automatic vehicle. She'd like to see him try a manual.

She hid another yawn. The landscape became a blur and Winn let her mind drift as the music continued playing softly through the speakers.

 _Take a left turn in about three-hundred yards._ The feminine GPS voice said. It was the second time she had issued a command to the driver, who had ignored it the first time. Poor GPS lady had to reroute already.

Winn waved goodbye to the exit as Godric drove by unflinchingly.

"Why didn't you turn?"

"I do not take orders." He said simply.

"Oh for heavens sake! GPS Lady isn't ordering you, she's telling you where to go so we can get to the library."

"I know the route."

Winn stopped herself from rolling her eyes. "You are like Eric. Well, partly. I don't know whether you'd be fine using me as an expendable resource yet." She said. It didn't mean she entrusted Godric with her life, or enough to trust him not to use if in one way or another if it became convienent.

"Expendable resource?" He questioned.

"Sure," she shrugged, "like in Dallas. The only reason I was there was to be a human shield to Sookie Stackhouse. Expendable."

Eric did not bring you to Dallas to be a 'human shield' to Sookie Stackhouse." His expression was a mix of deep offence and shock of her apparently very wrong interpretation. "He brought you and Ms. Stackhouse to Dallas for me to give my approval."

"Approval?" She blinked several times. She hadn't predicted that explanation at all.

He gave a nod in affirmation. "The bond between a progeny and maker is not one humans understand, but for Eric it is very important that the both of you were accepted. However I did not approve of the means of how he brought you to me, the situation was far too dangerous for the both of you."

"Alright, if I wasn't needed for any part of the mission, and Sookie - well her capture wasn't surprising . . . then why bring us into that at all, why not just wait until he had found you first?"

"Eric suspected there would be dangers, and he was testing the two of you as much as he was bringing you for me to pass my judgement."

"Of course he was playing multiple angles." She sighed.

Godric didn't respond. She hated when he did that, prompting her to speak when he said nothing.

She fiddled with the seatbelt for a while. Finally she looked at him. "It's strange seeing you driving."

"I know it's human regulation to get a drivers license first, but I felt it unnecessary."

"Not that. You're just sitting in a metal box that'll soon become a relic fo- did you say Eric values me?"

"Is it quite evident."

She couldn't help but snort in disbelief. She didn't know who she believed less at that moment, Godric, or Eric.

"So what did you think of Sookie?"

"Eric has an interest in her." Godric said. It was an explanation of sorts. He seemed indifferent to her, or perhaps there was thinly veiled disapproval - or maybe she was imagining it.

She bit her lip. Winn didn't know why she hesitated to ask her next question, but she did for a moment. "Godric? What was your judgement?"

He continued looking out the window, "I took you for more observant."

"Can you ever answer something directly?" She asked quietly.

He was silent for a moment, then he looked at her, expression carefully neutral. "You are much more complicated than you have a right to be."

"Are you sure I'm the complicated one?"

At two-thousand years old he was an unsolvable puzzle shrouded in layers of mystery and history. She didn't know how to begin deciphering him or anything he did. In contrast she was painfully aware that she was just human, just in her early twenties, and frustratingly weak in comparison to the vampire she wanted to kill. Hell, she was weak in comparison to the vampire she was locked in a car with right now.

He didn't answer.

Winn couldn't help letting out a heavy sigh as she stared at the blurring green landscape. She didn't know what the answer meant. She didn't know if his answer was a good or a bad thing. Or what it meant for the future. It was time to change the subject.

"Godric, will you please make a U-Turn." Winn asked, and then cocked her brow. Was he going to turn down her very request that was clearly not an order?

"I already know the way."

"How when you don't even know where it - did you look at my phone when I got the text?"

"Only when you opened it."

"Reading other people's things is rude without permission."

"You did not give me the location."

"You didn't ask."

"Godric you missed the turn _again_." She jabbed at the road that they were quickly passing by.

"As I told you, I already know how to get there."

"So does the GPS Lady - and she know's how to get there faster."

"I highly doubt that."

"We're going to get lost now." She sighed.

"Do have more faith in me than that, Winn."

She shook her head.

The music station, which had turned on automatically with the car start, was tuned to some classical music. As she looked out the window she saw in the corner of her eye Godric begin to fumble with some dials.

"What are you trying to do?" She asked.

"You're cold." He motioned to her arm. Her arm had rippled with goosebumps at the climax of the song.

"I have goosebumps because the music is really good, it's just a human reaction." She answered, and then stared at him. "You really haven't been around humans before have you? When was the last time?"

He seemed to consider the answer for a moment. It was all the answer she needed. Millions growing into billions of humans, and he never spent time with any of them, not really. "How can you not have interacted with us - any of us?"

"Do not forget about my son."

"A vampire." She noted. Even if him and Eric spent time together when he was human, that was a very long time ago. "But when we came to you, Eric didn't even live in Dallas."

"Yes, we have been separated for the past few centuries, though coming into contact with each other when the times called for it."

"That . . . must have been a secluded life."

"I had my underlings in my nest."

She furrowed her brow. "Vampire that report to you because you're their boss."

"Are you trying to imply something, Winn?"

"It just seems lonely is all." She looked out the window.

"You are alone too. By choice I assume."

She looked at him then. "I don't have a choice."

"Do you not?"

"I know what monsters can do. I'm not letting anyone else get hurt."

"Except for yourself."

She held in a sigh. "And why don't you have family or friends you spend your time with?"

"Immortality stretches out for a long time."

"That's not answering the question."

"I have no care for anyone else."

She tugged at the seatbelt. "Right."

They music filled the void of conversation for the duration of the trip.

The car came to a slow halt across the gravel. In front of them was a large garden walled off by large bushes. It was coming to the point in the year where they were slowly beginning to shed their summer leaves as the next season crept forwards.

It wasn't like the Woodrich Institute. The place was hidden in the forest, and the stone house was discrete. She could walk from one end to the other in just about a thirty seconds. It was only one story high. Surely the supernatural library had to be small then - cosy, even.

Shutting the car doors behind them they started towards the garden in silence. It seemed to be the only way to get to the house. Passing the large bushes that concealed the property they were lead into a sprawling garden, filled with flowers and rose bushes. The collision of summer and autumn gave way to splendid hues the colour of sunset.

Nothing about this place looked like the classic American she had grown used too. It wasn't overly large, it wasn't newly built. It reminded her of old European real-estate.

Across the courtyard was an elderly woman who looked to be in her nineties, so frail Winn was afraid a gust of wind would blow her over. She was deep in sleep in her wheel chair, a thick pleated blanket draped across her lap. The lines of time were etched deeply in her face. Whispered winds moved stray wisps of her thin white hair.

Just then as a strong gust of wind blew across the courtyard a pack of cards fell out of the woman's lap. Her brown eyes snapped open. But she wasn't looking at the cards. She was staring directly and unblinkingly at Winn.

The young woman didn't notice. Hurriedly Winn strode across the opening, closing the distance between them and picking up all of the cards: playing cards, a full deck. But they were larger than the usual sets she had dealt with.

As she handed them back to the old lady who gathered them between her bone-thin hands, she saw a final hard that was fluttering across the cobble stones. Quickly she scrambled to keep it from flying off. The card was worn around the edges, as if it had lived a long life.

As Winn tried to give the last card back to the old woman, the corners of her lips curved into the ghost of a smile and she shook her head once. With a trembling hand she pushed the card towards Winn. Taking it she flipped it over to the it was a tarot card - the card of death, turned upright. The space between her brows creased. An odd choice to give someone. But the woman looked like she was senile, probably didn't even know what she was doing.

Not wanting to overextend the old woman she placed the card into her inner pocket. "Uh, thanks." Winn looked around, but saw no one. She looked a the wheelchair bound woman again. "The library, can you let me know where it is?"

The woman didn't answer, only continued to look at Winn intently. Expectantly. Winn shifted on her feet uncomfortably.

"Winn." Godric said softly, getting her attention. Turning around she saw a lumbering man in jeans and a white shirt come towards them.

"You must be Ms. Vik!" He said with a smile on thin lips. As he neared he wiped the sweat from his sun reddened brow.

"You would be correct."

The man's smile dropped when he saw Godric, and then he refocused on the girl he had invited. "I thought I invited just you."

Godric cut in before Winn could say anything. "Apologies, I have decided to accompany my friend here. You see I was curious too, and would be greatly honoured to venture into this unique library you have taken the time to cultivate."

The man looked confused, then suspicious, and then his expression morphed into disdain. "Vampire." It was a statement.

She thought something flashed in Godric's eyes, but it was too fast for her to understand. "Indeed I am. I hope you can look past it. As I said I am simply here with my human companion."

The mans eyes flickered to Winns then. "Human companion, huh?" He sucked in a breath before exhaling slowly, placing his hands on his hips. Finally he seemed to come to a decision. "I haven't introduced myself." He extended his hand to Winn, "Name's Gary. It ain't short or long for anything. Just Gary. Guess you and the vampire can take a look, you and the vampire already knows where it is now anyway. Too late to kick you out."

His handshake was strong. Winn gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for not letting you know beforehand. I promise you he will show great respect for everyone here and the library."

"Oh, it's not him I'm worried about." Gary said. Before Winn had time to ponder he jerked his head towards the building, "Come on then."

They left the old woman in the courtyard.

Gary didn't bring her up and Winn didn't ask.

The entire house was as inconspicuous as the garden. In the stone hallways was nothing personal. There was no paintings, no furniture, nothing to indicate anything warm or cosy. Finally at the end of the hallway was a metal door. One he opened the door Gary gestured for them to go inside. "We gotta go down to get to the library." He explained.

The three of them stood on the platform and Gary closed the doors, caging them in. Pulling the lever the platform jerkily made its descent. The wall made way to a wide open space, lit up with dozens of candles and torches. There was no hint of electricity. Winn's mouth opened in awe as the moved further underground. They finally hit the ground with a unceremonious thud.

They stepped out of the elevator onto grey stoned ground. The temperature was cool down here. The burley man with them looked around at the books. "Normally I would offer some assistance to our guests, but . . . " Gary's eyes flickered to Godric. It was clear he wanted to chastise her bringing a vampire here. She understood it. The entire reason she had been allowed into the library in the first place was over mutual bonding with one of Gary's colleagues over the dangers of vampires. And then she brings one here. Winn tried telling Godric coming along was a bad idea.

Winn forced a smile. "It's fine, I understand."

Gary nodded and retreated back into the elevator. "If you need something, come find me." And then he pulled the leaver and left them alone.

For the first time she could focus on where she was.

Her eyes widened as she took in the library. It was as if a giant tower had been placed underground. A wooden ramp twisted along the wall in a spiral to the top. There were books at every level of the tower, and more that ran along the walls on the ground floor; books of all sizes and shapes, books that appeared to be centuries old. The ceiling was a glass dome. All she could see was the darkness on such a cloudy night. It was amazing she hadn't seen it before. The top of the tower must be barely peaking through the ground, and was probably hidden by more rosebushes.

Candles lining the stone walls sent shadows dancing across other walls crammed with books. Two giant oak tables were placed next to each other on the ground level, taking up most of the spacing. The entire building was a time capsule underground. "This is amazing." She breathed as she turned around in a circle. Godric stood quietly to the side, drinking in her awe.

"I don't know where to start." She confessed. Winn had hoped to get her hands on some older books detailing supernatural experiences throughout the millennia, but she hadn't expected such a vast collection to be stored.

"I would not have expected humans to possess such a vast alcove of old knowledge." Godric said.

"Well we had Alexandria, didn't we." She replied.

"Those were modern books meant for humans in their time, not such a storage." He said. She wandered over to a section of scarlet bound books when he spoke again.

His tone was curious. "What is it you are looking for?"

Winn shook her head, "I'm not quite sure. Anything, really." Her fingers trailed their maroon bindings. She looked over her shoulder at him; he hadn't moved. "How do I even begin?"

"What do you find most important?"

"I can't begin to tell you. How do I know what's most important in this library?"

Godric looked at the books spiralling upwards. "This library appears to be based on the system that was used in Alexandria. The bookkeepers organised the books on importance."

Winn raised a brow. "That seems inefficient."

"Not at all. They used it as a way to preserve or hide truths found in certain texts. If someone were to raid the library, perhaps in search of something important, they wouldn't know where to look. And those sworn to guard the library would give their lives to protect the information."

She stared at him, taking in the information. It hadn't just been random romance novels there, it had been information important enough that guards were needed. "Do you know how much historians would give just to know that information?"

"That is up for them to discover a way."

"Were you there when it burned?"

"I was further south with the Coptics for about a decade. What happened was unfortunate."

Winn pursed her lips. "So this library is organised in a way that only makes sense to those who work here. And Gary made it pretty clear he's not here to help."

"I understand my presence has triggered his disdain, though if you are unsure what you are looking for then its presumably a fine system regardless."

Winn hummed in response. She pulled out a book and flipped through the pages in a language she had never seen before. "So why are you here, anyway?"

"Aside from the fact you are not well enough to drive and seem to thoroughly enjoy throwing yourself into situations where you do not have an advantage, then I'm here because I would like to know more about these secretive people who appear to have a library that is indeed filled with ancient books - I'm sure the part of the supernatural is no lie either."

"For your own curiosity?"

"Knowledge is power, Winn."

She waved the book at him. "Why do you think I'm here."

They settled into silence after that, each finding their own books to look through. Winn sat down on the wooden chair with the velvet green seating, pulling it closer to the oak table.

The silence was peaceful. It took her eyes a while to adjust to the dim lighting of the room, but soon she settled for tracing her finger along each line. It went slowly. Her Italian wasn't the best, and she was mainly basing it off of her Latin. But this book seemed to be about wolves, and she had no care for them.

Godric was busy with own book, in a strange language of sharp lines and circles. The edges of the book glittered with gold. Every few pages were what looked like beautiful artwork of small intricate swirling lines that blossomed from the centre of the page all the way to the corners.

After growing used to the temperature she stood up and put the book back where she had found it, grabbing another from a lower shelf. Her hand gripped a black pocket-sized leather book. She shrugged off her grey zip up hoodie, placing it on the back of the seat.

Before she could sit down she was startled when she heard the sharp scrape of Godric's chair. He looked at the blossoming bruises on her arm. Shit. She should've just kept the sweater on.

Something flashed in his eyes that made her tense. "This is Eric's doing." He said immediately, not suspecting anyone else.

She glanced down at her own arm. The bruises had morphed together, creating one fantastic yellow and dark blue blob. "I know he eats well, but his hands really aren't that fat."

His jaw tightened as he looked up at her. "I assure you, I find nothing humorous in this situation."

Winn sighed. There was no way she was getting out of the situation, Godric knew who gave her the bruises. "It was an accident."

"I hope I had trained him better than to lash out in the manner of a newborn. What brought this on?"

She shrugged. "He's just protective of you, is all."

Obscenely hyper-protective to the point of absurdity.

He frowned, thumb skirting the edges of the bruise. "He should be protective of you too."

"I think in the hierarchy you're somewhere in the cosmos, and I'm somewhere on the bottom of his shoe." She replied.

He looked at her through his lashes. "If he has lead you to believe this, it is a grave fault on his part. What was this argument about?"

Her tongue skimmed her inner teeth. Finally she said, "He owes me money. For finding you."

Godric released her wrist. "Everything Eric owns and is, is because of me. You will have the money tomorrow."

"No! I don't want you to do this. It's between me and Eric."

"And Eric is a part of me."

She crossed her arms. "You weren't there when we made the deal."

"He hurt you." His words came out so sharply she looked up at him in surprise.

"I can handle it, Godric."

"You are human, Winn."

"Let me do this." She didn't need Eric thinking she was weaker than he already perceived her to be. If Godric defended her like this it would make the relationship between them even worse.

He seemed to struggle with an answer for a great deal of time. He was exasperated with her again. "Why such insistence? I told you he is a part of me. You will get your money."

"Because I will go to my last dying breath before Eric Northman thinks I need anyone to wage my battles for me. I don't care if he's a part of you. Apparently he's a part of me too."

This tugged a smile from him. "A fighter to the near point of absurdity. The two of you are more alike than you think. Alright, I will allow the both of you to attempt to continue your nonsensical and mismanaged relationship. But - and I would like to be very clear on this - if anything else happens I will step in." He said with finality.

She crossed her arms. "Fine."

Both of them looked towards the elevator as it hit the ground with a clang, disrupting the tension between the two of them. Gary stepped out with a small, awkward wave.

"I thought you might like some tea." Gary said, carrying a small porcelain teacup. Winn met him the rest of the way, and took it carefully from his hands.

"Thank-you." She smiled at him, though it didn't meet her eyes.

Gary's eyes shifted from her to Godric and back again. Winn looked at him curiously, finding his newfound response odd. He was looking at her expectantly.

Right. She lifted the cup up to her lips, attempting to ignore the cloy smell wafting upwards, and took a small sip of the hot liquid. It had an interesting taste; it was a tea she was unfamiliar with. Admittedly it wasn't a flavour she particularly enjoyed. Though it had been offered too her and after allowing a vampire within the library walls, the least she could do would be polite enough to drink the tea. He nodded in response, as if pleased she was drinking it.

"What's in this?" She asked.

Gary shifted on his feet. "Herbs from our convent garden. It's all natural."

Winn nodded.

"You just tell me if you need anything else." He said quietly, seemingly to get the information only to Winns ears. Undoubtedly Godric had overheard.

"I'll let you know." Winn promised. The answer seemed just satisfactory enough for Gary, who left them alone again.

Winn placed the tea on the table and Godric cocked his head slightly to the side. "An interesting combination." He remarked.

"Why's that?"

"Moon flower is not often used in drink." He explained. "Certainly not with the other herbs used too. I suppose humans are always experimenting."

She raised a brow, "You can smell every single herb and flower in this drink, even when I was across the room?"

"It is natural for us to have infallible memory. That includes scents: scents of people, of objects, of animals."

"So what did William Henry Harrison smell like?" She asked.

"I do not know, I was in Europe at the time."

"Really? Well what did Caligula smell like?" She asked, skepticism tempering her voice. Was he going to be in another continent with every human she inquired about? At least one of them he would have to know, right? But she doubted he could remember so many people over his long life span.

"Disappointment." He answered.

She burst out laughing despite herself at his unexpected answer and saw his own lip quirk in response.

Quickly she grew somber. This wasn't what she was supposed to be doing, enjoying herself and being pleasantly surprised the vampire did have a sense of humour.

With a sigh she reached for the tea and took a gulp. A pleasant warmth spread through her veins.

"You've lived a long life." She pointed out.

"That I have."

"And yet you know more about me in my short human time span than I know anything about you."

Godric sighed. "I have lived a -"

"Long life. Yes, I know."

"There is no need to be forthcoming with information."

"It'd be nice to even the scales. I don't even know where you come from."

"What would you like to inquire about?"

She threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. He hadn't even acknowledged her statement about his origins. "I don't know! Is Godric even your real name?"

"As opposed to what, a moniker?"

"Sure!"

"It is my real name." He confirmed.

"Do you have a last name?"

He thought for a moment. "If I may come with a proposal: as you seem unsure of what to ask, how about, when you figure out what it is and if you come to the correct conclusions, I will let you know?"

Winn considered it. Finally she gave a grudging nod. "Alright, fine."

It was the best she was going to get. And she did want to know more about him. He was private, that much was obvious. She was going to take what she could get, even if that was working out all of it. But it was a challenge she was going to win.

Feeling the need to move her legs she decided to look at some of the books that were up at the ramp. Her trip took her all the way to the very top. Peaking out over the edge she saw how far that fall was, enough to kill someone. They should really put a guardrail up.

One of the books pressed tightly against several others grabbed her attention. Unlike the rest filled with dust, this one was clean, like someone had taken it out recently. Tugging it out she opened the book to a random page in curiosity.

The breath left her as she stared at the book. The pages were drenched in blood.

* * *

 _A/N: Finally had time to put another chapter up! I know it's been a long time. Also this was a largely conversational chapter, but I couldn't get the two of them to stop talking, so I just went with the flow.  
*I try to keep the story as historically accurate as possible when it comes to history, but with Alexandria's library I took some liberty._

There's a whole lot of anonymous reviews - thank you all! The replies will be from the oldest to newest:

Anon 1: Yeah I'm having a lot of fun exploring their miscommunications. I do hope to keep you guessing! There's about 2-3 paths happening subtly at the moment which will all come together in the later chapters. Who's the killer and what the connection between the FoTS/Woodrich Institute/Supernatural Library and more? And who's actually in more danger? Also thank you, I've been doing my utmost best to keep both Godric AND eric in character!

Anon 2: Thank you, I'm glad youre enjoying the story so far!

Anon 3: I have written more, yay! Eric can be a real bastard when he wants to be, but there's a heart of gold somewhere inside his icy Viking heart.

Anon 4: Thank-you friend!

Anon 5: Yeah I don't want this story to have the protagonist have her entire view change due to a love interest only, so I thought Jess was an interest addition to add. It doesn't mean that Godric isn't working a little behind the scenes ;) _  
_

Anon 6: Thank you reviewer! I do promise more cute (and hot) scenes will be coming up


	13. Playing Without a Full Deck

"Winn." His voice was commanding as he took the book from his hands.

Her head snapped up as she was taken out of her memories tinged with blood. "What is this?"

"This book is on blood magik. The most treacherous kind of all."

"The blood is right here, right on these pages alone. What is The Great Culling?" The book in swirling cursive held the title _The Great Culling_ and beneath were two images, of rivers and of bloody wars with torn limbs and savage faces.

"Something the witches only wish they had been around for." Godric said.

"How much blood was spilled?" She asked quietly.

"Enough to make the Danube run red."

Winn processed for a moment. "Oh." She looked down at the book, and then back to the vampire standing across from her. "How do you know the blood in here is from the culling?"

"Because my own is on these pages."

She blinked once, then several times in quick succession.

"It's not enough to be of any use for any rituals. All magic requires fresh blood."

She continued staring at him.

Godric snapped the book shut. "You will not find anything in this book but ancient history." He pushed it back onto the shelf.

As Winn began processing the information she knelt down and picked up the card that had fallen out. Turning it over she was disappointed to see it was only half of the business card; all the valuable information as gone. A symbol remained however. A woman with a crossbow, seemingly shooting an arrow in midair. Artemis? She slid the card into her pocket.

"Are you just going to leave the book there?" She asked him.

"The blood in that book no longer has value and only a vampire would know from scent mine is on those pages, though what good it would do I do not know. I have become much more invested in finding out exactly where we are however." He began walking down the ramp and she followed him.

She glanced at the book as they left. Something about the business card was nagging at her. It was familiar, somewhere. Artemis. Why was Artemis so familiar? And why was it in a book about _blood magic._ It didn't seem right, that Godric had no care in a book that held his own blood when he was so guarded.

On the ground floor she sat on the opposite side of the oak table, spreading the books she had taken out. All the while she was dividing the bookload between finding anything to help her hunt down The Vampire and books that might help understand who Godric was, Artemis was being repeated in her head over and over again.

~0~0~0~

He took his time to look at her now. She set down the cup of tea. Winn was absorbed in a book, pupils flicking across the lines rapidly. From across the table he could feel the heat rising from her freckled skin. The blood sang just beneath the surface, tinging her cheeks a most desirable red. She pressed her lips together with impatience.

A moment later she rubbed her throat in a signal he recognised well: instinctual thirst.

 _What would happen if I drank your blood?_

Hearing those words in his head made his hand curl into a fist beneath the table. Doe eyes full of curiosity and _innocence_ waited expectantly for an answer. Nothing he could say would ever explain it. She turned a page. No, he could and would never give it to her. She belonged to Eric and was human, a fact he was painfully aware off.

A human with bravery and with a compassion unrivalled - but human. She tugged at her shirt in a move to take it off. Winn used the book to briefly fan her flushed skin, sending her scent through the air. Blood was an eternal vow. His son appeared to have forgotten that very promise. Godric had not. She had come with the question so unexpectedly he had not been able to stop the images in his head, so strong were they his fangs had nearly come out as if he had the restraint of a newborn. The fiercely stubborn and fearless human was just as dangerous as his own Son, if not more-so.

A tiny crease appeared before her brow as she found something of interest. Godric suppressed the smallest of smiles. Recklessness must run in the family. The corner of his lips turned downwards a fraction soon after. It was irrelevant. He was only here to ensure her safety until Eric could manage his own emotions. They both knew without discussion she was stubborn as a mule, and Godric had turned down the unacceptable idea of locking her in the Fangtasia basement.

A minute later she got up. His eyes slid back down on the book he was reading before she could register anything at all.

~0~0~0~

Finally she had found something that might just be useful at figuring out who he really was, and quicker than expected. He was engrossed in one of the books. Winn crouched down next to him, and he looked over his shoulder.

"Just hold still." She muttered.

The tattoo symbols did match up with the book. It was Elder Furthark. That had been why she had troubles deciphering them before; they weren't of Viking origin. Well . . . it was debatable how much contact and overlap there was with Norse. Her eyes flickered from one of the symbols down to the book, her finger trailing the symbols until she reached the right one. Othila Ancestral. Her lips moved silently as she read over it. _An inherited or fixed wealth._ But did it mean a materialistic inherited sum or inheriting spiritual powers? Was he of wealthy descent during his time as a human, or trained to be a shaman?

"Would you like to inquire?" Godric questioned.

"It wouldn't sound like you to be forthcoming about information. I'll figure it out on my own."

Her eyes were trained on the book again, trying to decipher the next one. But his shirt was covering half of the symbols. Her hand reached up to readjust his sleeve before retracting it. He seemed to understand what she had been trying to do and he rolled up the sleeve so she had full access.

"How is it possible for a vampire to have a tattoo?" Her hand hovered above his arm, wanting to reach out and glide her fingers across the inked skin.

"They will fade over time." He answered.

"How do you know?"

"Just as my tan has faded, I can only presume my tattoos will as well. It is just a longer process than with humans."

She looked up at him in surprise. "You had colour?"

His lip quirked. "I was not always this pale. But yes, I now fit my kind's stereotype." Then he turned back to the book he was reading.

Winn continued examining the tattoos, eventually coming to a crouch at his side. Before she had dipped down again she had seen he was reading a book in another ancient language, one long gone. The letters hadn't gone the uniform horizontal way, but instead seemed to follow a circular route.

Being this close to him made it difficult to concentrate. Once again, despite herself, she felt no threat in his presence. Winn shook her head, focusing back on the task at hand.

Her eyes narrowed, forcing herself to circle her thoughts back to the tattoos and deciphering them. There were symbols of interdependence, most likely about his tribe; symbols on protection; on increasing something - what she wasn't sure - ; and one of fertility. Her lip tugged upwards at that. Too bad he was a vampire. Then a question pervaded her mind and all she could do was asked, breaking the silence.

"Can vampires have children?" She asked.

"No." He replied. "We are for all intents and purposes dead. We do not belong here." His voice was resigned and contemplative.

She didn't know how to respond to his confession. Instead her finger came up and traced the Othila symbol. His eyes flickered down to look at her. It felt like electricity dancing beneath her finger tips. "This one . . . were you wealthy, or is it spiritual?"

She hadn't expected him to come with another answer other than vague and without use. Instead her turned around in his seat, closing the distance between them. The intensity within his azure eyes pulled her in. For a moment neither spoke.

And then, remembering to breath again she took a crouching step back, freeing up room between them. Already, she had been too close.

"It means both, in this case. I was the Chieftains son. But I was in training to become the next shaman within our tribe. Back then being a spiritual advisor was on par with being a warrior; it would have been my duty to become both. I believed strongly in the gods. There had been none more reverent than I - perhaps with the exception of the current shaman. Every decision I made, all that happened within our lands was guided by the deities. So I thought."

She was kneeling now, looking up at him. "What made you change your mind?"

"Many things. My faith was eroded little by little, but being a vampire . . . " He trailed off, then turned a page and added, "It was not helped when I was taken from G- Winn are you alright?"

She scratched at her chest again. "I wouldn't mind air conditioning right about now, but otherwise I'm fine. Why?"

"Stand up." His tone gave no way for argumentation.

With a sigh she grudgingly did as she was told. Godric got out of his seat and flipped through the remaining books on the table in a blur.

Then five books of different sizes and bindings were left open. On each were scrawling and shapes. Slowly, as if not wanting to know the ending, Godric began pushing them together.

The books came together to create a large looping symbol of blue and green hues, swirling around the pages. Winn pressed her lips together as she saw the look on his face.

He glanced up at her, "Move over to the wall, Winn."

She didn't argue as she quickly moved backwards.

Godric began lifting the giant oak table that was unmovable for humans in its weight. He carried and dragged the table as if it weighed nothing more than an empty bag. Winn hadn't seen his strength until now. And somehow she didn't think even that required any effort. She hoped she wouldn't find out how much strength he truly had.

Finally the space was cleared up on the floor. He yanked the maroon rug out of the way.

On the ground was a large black circle. He knelt down. Without figuring out the system he pried the doors open, leaving finger indents as he pulled them back. As they opened up Winn crept closer. Below the ground was a large brass bowl with a black symbol etched in it.

His face turned dark. "Druids."

"Druids?"

"Witches."

"Wh-" But she stopped talking as he disappeared. She flinched as he suddenly stood in front of her. His eyes flickered to the cup and then to her. "It's empty." He stated, so quietly she barely heard.

Her brows flashed up in alarm. "What does that mean? Why's that important?"

She blinked as he was gone again. Whirling around she saw the floor was empty. Craning her neck she saw he was already at the very top of the tower, hands running across the books. "What's happening?"

He didn't answer.

"Godric!"

One moment he was above the tower and the next at the table spreading several books across the table. His voice floated down from the top of the tower. "This entire building is nothing more than a large chimney for rituals. That is not a glass ceiling for decoration, but to be opened to allow the smoke out."

Her eyes flashed up to the ceiling and down at the brass bowl. Except it wasn't a bowl. It was a giant area for a bonfire.

In the blink of an eye he went from the top to the ground floor, pooling books over the table.

"Will you tell me what the hell is going on?" She cried. He was always composed. Not right now.

"Antidotes." He muttered, opening two of the books and pulling page after page as his eyes read over the texts are inhumane speeds.

"Antidote? As in I've been poisoned antidote? Oh my god." Her hands went up to her hair. "Have I been poisoned?" She turned in a circle.

"You must remain calm."

"Oh that's easy for you to say you're not the one dying." She spat. "So . . . I've been poisoned by some druid witches which now exist, probably because I took you along. That - that's great."

"Your accelerated heart rate will inevitable pump the poison through your veins faster." He snapped as he flickered through the pages.

"Oh that's great, that's real nice. So either I die now or later."

"It's possible you have not been poisoned at all."

"You just said I was!"

"No. I said you just control your heart rate as a precaution, just as I am reading through these books as precuation." He tossed a book to the side and took another. "Winn I need you to remain quite and calm, witches are nothing to be trifled with."

"You have had two-thousand years to master language and knowing how to speak directly still alludes you?!"

"Few things in life are certain, and speaking in absolutes oft causes more misery than joy."

"I swear one decade from now you will have fully transitioned into Yoda."

"What is 'Yoda'?" He seemed to only be half listening as he turned pages at a blurring rate. Winn took the bottom of her shirt and wafted it to create some airflow. It was too hot down here.

"It's not a thing, its a who, from Star Wa- nevermind. That's going to go down a very confusing rabbit hole of pop culture for you. And I refuse to have my dying words be about Jar Jar Binks." With a heavy sigh she went to look at the books he was flipping through. All of them were herbology books. She took one of the books he had already read through at inhuman speeds. "Moonflower. That was one of the things you smelled earlier, right?"

"Indeed."

She found the page with ease and traced her finger over the text. "Well it looks like I was poisoned then."

He didn't bother looking up. "I do not know if the quantity is large enough. However I am worried about the combinations."

Winn wasn't following. All the other herbs should be fine. "Care to elaborate?"

"Different herbs follow different rituals. But it seems there's no useful books in this section of the library." He stood up rapidly, face growing authoritative. "Do not leave this section under any circumstances."

She stuffed her hands into her pants pockets. "Fine."

"Winn." He stressed.

"Got it, the human stays here."

He looked at her for one moment more, seeming to want to say something before hurrying away from her and into a small tunnel under the book shelf. How he knew there were more books down there was beyond her.

She looked at the watch's hand moved at a glacial speed. One minute passed. A second minute passed. Shaking her head she put the empty cup down and headed towards the elevator. Godric hadn't returned and with every minute that passed may be a minute closer to death - and if the witches had poisoned her she was dead to them already. Having a conversation with them couldn't hurt. Probably.

As the doors rattled shut she felt a small pang of guilt for lying. And then she was upstairs.

She hurried through the building, peaking through various open doors to see if Gary was spotted.

She found Gary in the gardens. Intently cutting his bushes, he didn't notice her yet. "What was in that tea?" She snapped at him.

He looked up in surprise, the sheers frozen, just about to cut through a branch. Slowly he rose from his squatting position. "It was to protect you."

"I asked, _what was in that tea?"_ Her voice had dropped low.

Gary closed the sheers. "It was herbs from the garden, as I explained before."

The anger she had kept up pent inside of her was threatening to explode as she stalked over to him. Seeming to sense this he took a step backwards. "It's doing something to me - I can feel it. What did it do?"

"It'll protect you in the future, is what it'll do. Emotions, _human_ emotions all bubbling up to the surface and heightened empathy at the time are just side effects. They'll fade away by the end of the day. So will the sickness you feel."

"Protect me from what?" She hissed, eyes narrowed.

"Vampires. We've learned to protect ourselves agains their glamour. I see the way he goes about you. And these vampires - oh I've read most of them books down there - ain't nothing good comes from being around them. This will allow you to keep your humanity. I swear, it ain't nothing dangerous to you."

"Reverse it!" She wiped away the light sheen of sweat from her brow.

"It's been done, you drank it all, didn't ya?"

Winn crossed her arms and glared at the balding man. Damn it. For once couldn't she just catch a break and be in one situation where no one had ulterior motives? "I can and will use that library whenever I please. And if you don't allow me to, then I'm coming back with a whole army of vampires. That shouldn't be a problem, since I'm protected against them, apparently." Whatever protection meant.

He didn't seem scared by her threat. "For someone who claims to dislike vampires you should seem to have no qualms spending time 'round them."

"I don't like vampires, that doesn't mean I won't make use of them when I need too."

"Sure didn't mind that companion title."

She opened her mouth and closed it. "Look-" She shook her head, "What did you mean when you said I'll keep my humanity?"

"Hopefully you won't need to find out what it means. It's best you're long gone from their kind before then."

She placed her hands on her knees and lowered her head as the world titled.

"Sorry Ms. Vik, the side effects of our drinks aren't always the nicest. They sure are efficient, though. It'll be over soon and you'll be good as new." Gary said.

"What are you going to do to Godric?" She asked through gritted teeth as she tried to stop the world spinning.

"Don't care about vampires, is that right?"

In her peripheral vision she saw his feet move away from her. As she reached out to stop him she fell over. The smell of fresh earth permeated her nose. For a moment she relished the freezing earth as it battled her fevered state.

With willpower she managed to get back into a crawling position, slowly forcing herself to stand upright. The vertigo seemed to have passed for now. Gary was nowhere in site. Maybe he had decided to pay the vampire in his library a visit.

With a swear she turned on her heel and cautiously made her way back to the library, concerned the vertigo would come back in full force.

She came to the end of the hallway and stumbled into the elevator. The doors jerked down. The floor was empty. There was no sign of Gary, or Godric. She swore under her breath.

Winn quickly made her way towards the tunnel when she felt a gust of air behind her.

"I thought I told you to stay here." His voice was silky. She whirled around and took a step back, banging into the table.

"It was my life we were talking about." Upon the expression of displeasure on his face she hurried the information, "I spoke with Gary - wait! Before you do anything. He told me that whatever was in the drink was to protect me. It's to protect me from vampires. It can't be poison."

"You spoke to a witch. You trusted a witch." His voice was low. He took a step forwards towards her. She began moving around the table and then backwards.

Every step she took back he took one forwards, until she hit the bookshelf. He kept walking towards her with determination. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Test if the witch was telling the truth." He said. His cool palm came to touch the centre of her chest, feeling instantly as her heat rate picked up. "Whatever you drank has made its way into your blood stream by now, and with every beat of your heart spreads itself through your body. If it is there, I will know."

"How will you know?" She asked with hesitation. There was no way she was escaping the situation; her shoulders deflated in defeat.

The hardness in his eyes softened a fraction. He placed his other hand next to her head, caging her in. "Where's your favourite place to be in the entire world?" He whispered.

"I-in my cabin, after a night of heavy snowfall." She said. Winn tried to stare a straight ahead with laser focus. His fingers grazed her neck as he moved her hair over shoulder. "The world is blanketed a-and it weighs down the trees."

"What do you do when you wake up and see the snow?" He murmured, his breath fanning her exposed neck.

She swallowed. "Light a candle or two." He leaned in. "It's nice. Cosy." His nose brushed gently against her bare skin, light as air. She inhaled sharply.

The second time he dragged the tip of his nose from her shoulder up to the base of her jaw, tantalisingly slow. In no particular hurry he drew back, a hair width away as his eyes flickered between hers. His fingers trailed against her jaw before lowering and feeling her jumping pulse beneath her heated skin. "Your heart is racing."

"Probably the tea." She replied weakly.

"Whatever you took . . . I do not think its purpose is sinister. It seems the witch was telling the truth. But I would like to have a conversation with him."

"We should probably go then."

"Winn?"

"Yes?"

He pushed himself off the shelf. "Next time you go somewhere with me, you won't need to carry this." He held up the gun. "Whatever damage you may believe your weapons can do, I will be able to do tenfold."

Quickly her hands padded her back where the holster had been. It was empty. She hadn't even felt him creep up her shirt and remove the weapon. As he walked away she went to feel for her knife in her boot. She gritted her teeth in frustration as she realised he had taken those too.

Winn stood for a moment longer before joining him at the elevator. "Give me those back! They're not yours."

As the elevator doors closed he turned to look at her. "How about a deal then, Winn? If you manage to retrieve your weapons by the end of the night, any future endeavours we find ourselves on, you may carry your gun and knife."

"That's bullshit."

He raised a brow.

"Fine." She acceded through gritted teeth.

As soon as the doors opened they began searching the building room by room for Mitch or any other sign of life.

"Godric?"

He turned to look at her.

"Thanks for telling me those things about your past. I know you don't trust me."

He seemed bemused. "Winifred Vik, it's not you I don't trust." He shut the door to another empty room. "But if you cannot restrain your desire for impulsive behaviour something will need to be done."

She stared at him blankly.

Before she could reply the sound of a wheels scraping across the ground hit their ears. Both of them looked towards the hallway.

It was the old woman. She had given Winn the tarot card earlier. As she began towards the woman Godric grabbed her bicep. "Stop."

"She might know something."

"She's a witch." The words came out in a soft snarl that sent a shiver up her spine.

"Godric she can barely move, I think we're fine. Plus, I have you now so I don't need a weapon against a little old lady, right?"

The atmosphere altered as his authority began seeping out from the very fibre of his being. "Witches are not humans. Any of them can do a great amount of damage that is not to be humoured."

"Then stay back while I talk with her." Winn ripped herself out of his grip. If she stayed around Godric any longer she'd lose their argument without a doubt. His authority was oppressive when eh wanted it to be.

The lady gave a beckoning smile. Winn went over and knelt down in front of her. With a trembling hand she reached out to hold the young woman's arm.

"Hello, I'm Winn. I'm hoping you know where Mitch is?"

The old woman seemed to be saying something under her breath. Winn leaned in. "Goodbye, Daywalker." The lady breathed.

Winn pulled back. "I don't understand."

With a small smile the old lady's eyes slid shut. Winn scrambled in panic to find a pulse on her wrinkled arm. Godric had flashed next to her. She looked up at him. "She's still alive, but she just fell asleep."

He pulled her up gently. "We leave now. Gary will be found later."

She stared back at him, and then nodded. "Alright."

Godric seemed ready to reprimand her for disagreeing but gave a nod of satisfaction when she didn't fight him. They walked hurriedly through the empty gardens towards the car. The van that had been in the parking lot before was gone. Wherever Gary was, he had decided to hide until the vampire was gone.

At the car Winn exhaled forcefully before lowering herself onto the ground. The vertigo had come back.

Godric went back to human speeds. The crunching of gravel alerted her to his arrival as he walked over to the passengers side. Placing his hand on her shoulder he knelt down. "You need food."

She couldn't help but smile. "I'm not a vampire. The solution to everything isn't just nutrition."

"And when was the last time you had anything?" He asked.

As she paused to think he nodded. "My point exactly. In any case, did you have other plans tonight?"

She looked up at him. "Alright. Let's find a diner then."

* * *

 **A/N: After 13 chapters of this M-rated story, as we finally getting towards more physical action? Well, I never!**

 **If you like the story do feel free to drop a review!**

Guest 1: Thank you! And I wish I had more time to update more as well, I try to as often as I can! :)

Guest 2: Maybe it was one of those drink to be polite and not stir the pot more than it has to be type of scenarios? But I do agree. But when is Winn ever not impulsive? And you're correct, I don't think Godric was happy because he likely realises he did get her into that scenario, but hey it turned out all well (or did it? Who says consequences have to be short term?). Regarding the blood, it sure seems he's been thinking of his blood a lot. *Cue some Marvin Gaye*

S.A.: Your review made me so happy, thank you! Don't worry, Winn's getting there with realising vampires are just as diverse as humans. Welp, in this chapter it looks like Winnie's going to have to stop relying on her weapons so much, and start relying and trusting a supernatural weapon instead. Winn is much too stubborn to get her act together! ha 


	14. Summons

Daybreaker is the nicest term a supernatural creature has ever called me." She mused.

Godric frowned.

"What?"

"Witches are never direct and always speak in riddles."

"I didn't know you were a witch." She said.

He looked over at her, and the half-smile slid off her face as she saw the gravity of the situation in her eyes.

"So what does she mean then? When she called me daybreaker?" Winn asked. Because it was clear now that she old lady hadn't been inferring that she was a human. But Winn knew that was exactly what she was. So did Godric. "But - then what? Is it some kind of prophecy?"

"Perhaps, but let us pray we never find out."

She played with the stitching in the leather seat. So now she had to worry about witches too? She wanted to dismiss it as a senile woman spouting things; but she wasn't ignorant enough to dismiss a two-thousand year old vampires opinion on the matter. Her stomach lurched uneasily at the thought.

They drove down the gravelly road until a rundown diner showed itself. The stars were hidden behind rolling clouds, making the headlights all the more sharper as they swung into the parking lot.

Outside were motorcycles and old cars in desperate need of repair. A stray dog tore into a trash bag thrown carelessly into the woods. Godric sensed her uncertainty and slowed the car.

Winn rolled down the window.

"Is this the place you want to eat at?" He asked.

Her eyes flickered at the house - or rather, shack. "Maybe, I'm trying to figure out if I'll be eating real food or - . . . can't you sniff out if they're deep-frying roadkill raccoons?"

He glanced at her. "What exactly is it you believe my abilities are?"

"I don't know." She said, rolling up the window. "You never told me."

Her human ears didn't hear the soft sigh he gave. He looked at her like he was about to say something, before deciding against it.

Their feet crunched across the gravel.

Winn swung the door open. They were greeted with soft rock music and the smell of fried foods. Despite the exterior, inside it did look mostly like a diner, albeit a rundown one, with red leather couches and wooden tables.

The second both of them were indoors the diner's heads snapped up to stare at them unflinchingly. Their expressions turned cold once they deemed Godric to be a vampire, and then eyes Winn with distrust.

Godric lead them to an empty booth in the fair back of the diner. It was luck that the diner was for the only half full.

One they sat down people seemed to slowly return to their conversations and dinners. But the barking laughter she had heard from the outside had died down.

She took at the menu and bit her lip.

Occasionally they were thrown none-to-pleasant glances.

Just then the waitress came over to them, pen swishing in between her red chipped nails. "Welcome to Monroe's Diner. Can I take your order?" She asked Winn in a grudging tone, pointedly ignoring the vampire opposite her.

Sinking slightly into her seat, Winn took out the last of her crumbled dollar bills and placed them on the table. "Uh, yeah, what can I get for this?"

The waitress - Mary-Lee on her name tag - squinted at the bills. She counted two.

Mary-Lee tapped the pen against the pocket sized notebook as she thought. "Oh uh, well you can get the . . ."

Godric placed a hundred dollar bill on the table.

That was an excessive amount of money for a place like this. Winn wasn't the only one surprised. The waitresses eyebrows had shot up into her badly dyed red hairline.

Quickly Winn went through the motions of ordering while her mind caught up. She aimlessly pointed to two things on the menu, ending up with the fajita and mash potatoes with gravy. Judging by the waitress it wasn't the usual combination.

Quickly Mary-Lee took the money and went away to get more change.

Winn leaned over the table and whispered, "Do you own a small country?"

"I haven't focused on finances in a while, much less the inflation rates of this century."

She leaned back against the frayed leather. "Yeah." She grumbled. "Use your age as an excuse."

His eyes flashed with amusement before he grew somber. "Does the wealth bother you?"

She pondered it for a moment and shrugged. "Your money doesn't have anything to do with me. I was just surprised about bringing out such a big bill for a place like this. Good thing they discontinued the thousand-dollar bill; Mary-Lee might've had a heart attack."

He gave her a look. He wasn't judging her . . . But he seemed to have come to a small realisation, of a small positive effect. She wasn't going to ask him to explain what he was thinking after replying to his question, he wouldn't answer. It seemed to run in the bloodline. Eric was smug in purposefully never elaborating anything to her, simply because he could. And she was slowly accepting that Godric had permanent poker-face.

"Thank-you. I'll give you back the money as soon as I have it." She said.

"Your company will do."

Winn pursed her lips. "I'm not fond of owing people."

"I am not lending you the money, Winn, I'm feeding you before you perish from malnutrition."

She frowned. "I think that's a little unfair, I only forget to eat Tuesday, Wednesday's and Fridays."

Godric didn't seem amused.

Suddenly there was a sharp pain by her shoulder. Wincing she placed her fingers beneath the top. When she withdrew she saw red on her finger tips. Quickly she wiped it in the napkin as she folded it.

But Godric had already seen. "Your wound has opened up again."

She stuffed the napkin in her back pocket so the waitress wouldn't see it. "It was probably when I fell down in the courtyard."

His eyes flicked right back down to her shoulder. "It needs to be fixed. Now."

Winn's hand hovered over her shoulder slightly, as if shielding the injury beneath her clothes would make him lose interest.

He pressed harder. "In a minute both your tank top and blouse will be soaked with blood; the grey will not hide it from the customers in here."

In response her eyes swept through the restaurant. Multiple sets of eyes met her own. Either they weren't used to newcomers or it was the vampire putting them on edge.

Blood in an area near her neck probably would end badly for both of them. Winn didn't take it that anyone in this diner was the understanding all-inclusive type.

With a sigh she stood up, keeping her one arm loose by her side in an effort not to loosen the broken stitches further. "I'll be right back."

As she stood up the customers eyes honed in on her like a hawk. As she found her way to the toilets she did her best to pretend that the amount of attention on her was no bother.

She made her way into the ladies bathroom, finally away from the cold stares. The small window up top was propped open with a stick; a substitute for lack of air freshener. The artificial lamp above her whined.

As she turned around to lock the door she bumped into someone and yelped in surprise. It was Godric.

"This isn't the men's bathroom." She pointed out.

Did vampires even have bodily functions?

It felt like too strange a question to ask.

Without looking behind him he locked the door. "You cannot properly reseal that wound yourself."

Her jaw tightened for a moment, not liking his intrusion and assumption that of course he would fix it because she wasn't capable of doing it herself.

The heat made its way through her veins again . . . he did make a fair point. And, he did just want to help. But . . .

Winn grabbed a paper towel and wiped at her forehead and neck. "Alright."

There was the slightest tilt to his head in acknowledgment at her quick acceptance. They both knew she had been more than willing to argue against his help.

As he came closer his eyes flickered around. "Perhaps it's best if you sit up on the counter."

Using her good arm she hopped onto the edge of the white plastic.

"How many human injuries have you helped heal exactly?" She asked, attempting to open the first button with one hand.

"Over the centuries?"

"Um, yes. The whole time you've been a vampire." She gave the button a jerk in frustration as it stayed put.

"Eric."

Her brows shot up. "Maybe I should just try to fix this myself. You can try to be emotional assistance. Distract me with some ancient proverbs full of wisdom."

Healing Eric had meant turning him into a vampire. That was as much interaction as he had had with helping humans. She didn't want to dwell on that thought too much, both for its implication over the lack of care he had given humanity and his severe lack clinical skills.

She had no doubts he knew too many ways to count in opening up someone. But he didn't seem to have any way to close them up again.

Maybe she should introduce him to the game Operation.

"I have witnessed many fine doctors operating on their patients over the centuries. With an infallible memory it can be done."

"Was that sentence supposed to be more assuring than your last?"

"You have been awfully talkative."

"Sorry. I think it's still that tea voodoo running through my system."

"I don't mind it." He said with a small smile.

She leaned against the sink in the bathroom and let the shirt slide down her shoulder slightly.

His finger tips brushed against her heated skin, showing more expanse to get to the gauze easier.

Winn held her breath, acutely aware of the lack of distance between the two. She did her best to stare at a random spot on the wall behind him.

Noticing that he was having troubles removing the gauze properly, she went to work with one hand on her buttons. With frustration she tried to separate the buttons but with only one fully functioning arm it was turning into a nearly impossible task.

"May I?" Godric asked.

Finally she nodded. With deft fingers he unbuttoned her blouse. The sleeves slid down her arms.

Her eyes trailed back up to his face.

The familiar blush of red rimmed his eyes. She hadn't noticed it at first; all vampires had been pale and cold. But up close there was an array of contrasts.

His eyes flickered up to meet with hers, feeling her curious gaze. Her eyes quickly focused on the wall behind him.

With an added gentleness there hasn't been back in his nest he pulled the adhesive from her heated skin, eyes never leaving her own in search of even the slightest sign of discomfort.

As his eyes followed a bead of blood that trickled down his expression changed.

"Sorry." She muttered.

He looked confused.

"The blood."

He sighed. "Winn, your blood does not bother for me at all."

She couldn't say she fully believed his words. He did seem bothered, or distracted by it. Though not like she would imagine a fledgling would be distracted. She chewed at her bottom lip as she thought about finding out what it was that bothered him.

His hand reached up to sweep her messy hair away, fingers trailing along her freckles, and lingered for a moment longer.

This close his frame and broad shoulders eclipsed her; the soft curves and petite build were a contrast to the vampire in front of her who was all muscle and power that thrummed through his veins.

He was still guarded. Always guarded. But it seemed when he wasn't keenly focused on shrouding his power . . . it was like a physical presence, one as light as a caress. Winn wondered if he knew how intimidating he was, even while doing something as nurturing as bandaging a little human.

Ultimately it was a lost cause; she wouldn't know what it was that bothered him and he wouldn't tell her.

The gauze fell to the ground. At his expression she glanced down at the wound too. Her shoulder would never be pretty again, that she was sure of. But her back wasn't pretty either. As if reading her thoughts his eyes flickered to the mirror behind her. She shifted uncomfortably as the white jagged scars that ran down her back from shoulders to hips were on gleaming display under the artificial light. As quickly as he had looked at the damage on her back his eyes were back to the damage on her shoulder; it was impossible to tell what he thought; Winn wished she did.

As her fingers came up self-consciously to hide the wound he grabbed her wrist lightly, inches away from the puffy skin. Her head snapped up.

"Do not touch it or you will make it worse for yourself."

She pressed her lips together and then gave a half-shrug. "It doesn't matter anyway; fairly sure I'm damaged goods, so what's one more scar?"

He let go of her. She brought her other hand to cradle her wrist though he hadn't caused her any pain; she felt his touch lingering.

He traced around the scar. "Any man who believes these scars mars your beauty is no man worth your time." Godric murmured.

He looked up at her, and there was an honesty in his eyes that she didn't know how to respond to. At the unexpected words her face heated up.

"Uh - uh, right. So, what''s the verdict, Doctor? Am I good to go? I'm sure the food's on the table, it's probably getting cold now." Her sentences were a jumbled mix of anything; suddenly she couldn't stop herself from talking about anything else.

He nearly seemed surprised her disjointed sentence. "The stitching will hold, but if the bleeding does not stop the doctor will be called."

He took out the new roll of gauze from his pocket.

In his nest the bandaging had be precise and quickly done. All of a sudden he seemed unsure, his eyes flickering up to her every few seconds to analyse her reaction, more careful than he had been before.

The entire process was done in less than a minute.

"You need to take better care of yourself." He ordered gently.

Indignation surged up within her. "I'm trying to heal myself as fast I can; apparently my chakras must not be aligned because it's taking more than a few minutes."

He looked at her in exasperation. "All the more important you look after your current wounds before making new ones for yourself or reopening up current ones. I almost think you wan-"

He cut off as he looked at his, eyes sweeping over her face as he seemed to be intensely analyzing her.

She bristled at his analysis and whatever conclusion he was reaching - conclusions she didn't want to know about. "Going to be a doctor and psychologist in one night? Ambitious."

For a moment he seemed ready to address her comment before deciding it wasn't worth the argument. He took a step back and she slid off the counter.

But as soon as she had spoken her agitation had already died down. She unlocked the door and headed back to the booth, Godric right behind her.

The guy with the John Deere hat stood up abruptly, chair scraping behind him; suddenly Godric seemed to appear slightly in front of her.

John Deere, tall and muscular with a well formed beer gut sneered down at her, and his sneer deepened as he looked at Godric. "We don't take kindly to Fangbangers here." His hand rested on the hilt of his gun by his waist.

Winn blinked for a moment. Then understood. And she cursed herself because how else could it look to everyone here? Again the whole bar was staring, this time they had a hunger in the eyes, the kind that came from too many years of hatred.

"I'm not a Fangbanger." She defended herself sharply.

The fury sparked in his eyes and his hand tightened on the weapon. "You tell me that pretty boy is a lady now?"

"I - no. We-"

"Admiring the toilet tiles, is that it?" He hissed.

"My human companion here is dehydrated and I feared she was going to be sick. I am sorry for the way the situation was perceived, sometimes I can be quite forgetful about human ways. It comes with the age." Godric gave a small charming smile.

The man scrutinised them both with narrowed eyes.

His buddy sitting down on the stool, leaning across the table with crossed arms jerked his head towards the waitress. "Then you order them some fuckin' water, not trail them into the bathroom you freak."

"People might get the wrong idea, vampire." John Deere added with a growl. "Don't want those kind of misinterpretation round these parts. The law might be the law but we follow a moral code here."

Godric nodded his head but kept quite. And as Winn looked at him and was about to agree just to diffuse the situation so she could finally eat she did a double take. He looked like an innocent boy. Not in a million years did he look like an ancient vampire capable of doing things she couldn't even properly understand.

Quickly Winn nodded as well. The man made a grand gesture with his hands as he took a step to the side, allowing them through a very narrow channel between his sweaty body and the booth. He didn't blink as they passed by him.

"Thanks." Winn said, a polite habit. The man gave no reply as he glared at their passing.

Quickly Winn slipped into the booth. Godric had transformed straight back into the vampire she knew and it unnerved her; the change was subtle and it had made all the difference. He looked older now, his aura was older.

But she could still see the younger version of him in there and for the first time she wondered how old he was when he was turned. What had happened for him to transition from the human life to an immortal one?

He cocked a brow as he watched the emotions flicker across her face.

And she couldn't suppress her question. "Do you do that often? Pretend to be. . . young. Like you're not capable of even harming someone."

"No." He said.

"You just did it now." She pointed out.

"I do not visit human establishments."

She pondered over his words. He had done it to diffuse the situation. But he could have easily responded to their threat in a much different way. He didn't appear to be the same vampire his reputation was based on . . . but would he . . .

"If they had threatened us with their guns, what would you have done?"

He didn't answer.

"Right." She exhaled as she slowly looked at everyone in the bar. They would all be dead now.

Finally she looked at him again, and his face was an unreadable mask. "But you didn't."

"What would be the point? That I am the monster they suspect me to be?"

She rubbed at her arm.

The waitress came over with a big jug of water, placing it down with untrusting eyes.

Winn found that she was in fact, thirsty. And as she chugged the bottle like someone who had been lost in the desert, she conceded that maybe she was a little dehydrated.

It was luck too. Because those most suspicious seemed to buy it, and settled back into their seats. But Johne Deere didn't take his eyes off of Winn. His lip twitched.

Winn didn't notice.

Godric had his back to him. He had his back to them all.

They sat in an amicable silence until her dinner came. And for once, she knew the cook had purposefully given her less than what should've been on the plate because she knew she'd be able to eat all of it. Her stomach rumbled.

As she was about to spear the stray piece of chicken the plate disappeared and she hit the table instead.

It took her a few moments of boring a hole into the table with an intense stare to figure out where the plate had gone - if there had been any at all.

Godric suddenly had it. He raised a brow.

Winn stared back at him.

Growing suspicious she reached out to take it back. And then he slid it to the right side. On instinct she went to go grab the plate again but his hands were faster and it was gone again.

"Hey! What are you-" She tried to get the plate, again on instinct, but it was manoeuvred out of her grasp.

"What are you doing?" She snapped, growing irritable as her stomach protested in hunger. Her hand felt the edge of the porcelain before it slid out of her grasp once again.

He didn't reply; a mockingly innocent gleam entered his eyes.

"Get your own food. You don't even like fajitas."

Winn leaned further over the table the further he moved it back, back leg on the booth tucked under her now.

She reached out the fork, hoping to at least spear a piece of quickly moving food so she could attempt to satiate her hunger.

As Winn reached out again he grabbed her arm, stilling it. "And now you've lost."

Her brow furrowed as she looked up at him through her lashes. "My food?"

"The game."

What was it with him and games?

"Do you understand what you did wrong?"

"I didn't know we were playing." She grumbled.

"Everything in life is a game. One just needs to find and understand the players."

She sighed. All she wanted was to eat. But he seemed to be giving her a lesson, and if she didn't listen he would give her that 'Sheriff' look that would have her seceding anyway. "So what did I do wrong in this surprise game of food stealing?"

"I remained where I was. I allowed you to come to me and you followed right into my territory."

She stared at him.

"I have the advantage here. You played into the rule I created."

"You could've also just lunged across the table before I could blink."

"Don't take it to literally." He chided lightly.

"Alright Sun Tzu, can I have my food back? One minute you're trying to force me to eat, the next you're stealing it away. I feel like I'm getting mixed signals here."

He gave her such a look her eyes began to widen.

"No - . . . Sun Tzu?"

That pulled a smile from him. "I am not Sun Tzu. I did not have the joy of meeting him."

"It was a valid question." She defended.

"I have only had one name throughout the millennia."

She toyed with the straw. "Do vampires change their name often?"

He thought for a moment, growing serious. "Some, to fit better into their environment. Some, like Dubhshláine to distance themselves from the enemies they have made." He said, and something in his expression made her sure he regretted mentioning this vampire immediately.

"Is he your enemy?" She asked quietly.

"We did not have much in common." He answered tightly. "He never minded using excessive violence, simply because he could."

Winn nodded slowly. "So he's hurt a lot of people . . . a lot of humans. Is he like you? Ancient?"

Godrics eyes hardened.

"What does he call himself now?"

His voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "This conversation ends here. There are very few who know his true name and a mortal being one of them, would draw unnecessary attention to yourself."

 _Unwanted_ she corrected him in her head. She wondered who this vampire was that put Godric on edge like that. She looked unseeingly at the laminate table. Godric, who had a reputation because of his past, was on edge over a vampire. A familiar rolling feeling came back into her stomach. She tried to ignore it.

She swirled the straw around the glass, sending bubbles fizzing to the surface. "I don't really have vampire friends, so I don't think that'll be a problem."

His expression remained unwavering.

Winn nodded quickly. "Already forgot the name."

"Let it remain that way."

The conversation was dead.

Occasionally Godrics eyes flickered to the restaurants guests.

Winn finished her food quickly.

Finally he focused back on her. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes." She answered quickly.

As she stood up to leave she forgot about the pool of water on the linoleum floor. With a gasp she lost her footing and went down.

Before she hit the ground a pair of hands wrapped around her upper arms, steadying her. Instinctively she clutched onto Godric to restore her balance. He helped her right herself.

"Thanks." She breathed.

He let go off her and a moment later she realised she was still clutching the front of his tunic and the crook of his shoulder. She let go.

As they neared the door there were several scraping of chairs, the customers moving like a pack of dogs.

"You dare come into my diner and lie about what you two've been up too?"

Godric continued walking, ignoring everyone behind him. After a quick glance behind her, Winn followed suite.

"Don't walk away while I'm talkin' to you!" Deere snarled as the dinner doors closed behind them.

As they walked towards the car the diner door swung open and several of the diner inhabitants poured out. Deere grabbed her arm.

"How'd your daddy feel if he found out you were fuckin' the undead, huh?"

She tried to jerk her arm out his grip and winced. The pain ached deep in her shoulder. His words struck a chord within her. "Shut up." She hissed.

"All this media propaganda has you lowering your self worth to getting fed on and fucked in my bathroom." He seethed, eyes squinted as he regarded her. "Ain't nothing but a common whore."

He reached behind her legs faster than she could react.

And then he was off of her. She head the thud as he was was forced to kneel. Deere howled in pain as Godric had grabbed a hold of his offending limb.

Several guns came whipping out of holsters and back pockets.

The vampire in front of them kept his eyes solely on Deere. "If you do not lower your weapons now I ensure you this beasts and every one of the bones in your hands will shatter."

Godric squeezed Deere's hand and he cried out. The guns were reluctantly lowered or holstered.

His eyes had darkened considerably as he stared down at the offending man. Everyone had frozen, unsure of how the situation was going to proceed.

Suddenly Godric had gone from a vampire they had felt confident to threaten in numbers to realising where they truly lay on the food chain.

Swallowing Winn walked slowly forwards, until she reached both of them.

But Deere wasn't done. "Fuck you. Fuck you and fuck your fang banging whore."

Godric tilted his head a fraction and then apply more pressure to Deere's hand. The mans eyes bulged in pain while his face had grown a hot red.

"Godric dont." She pleaded, placing a hand on his arm.

"If you try to kill him you'll have to get through me first." She said. But they both knew her words weren't true, despite their intent. He could snap Deere's neck before she could move a muscle.

His hard gaze didn't waiver as he stared the man down with a loathing that made the hair on the back of her stand. He pushed a fraction on down and Deere cried out in pain; several shouting yells resounded through the parking lot in frantic defence. She cringed as she heard Deere's muscles crunch and grind.

She tightened her hold on him. "Godric, please. Please can we just go?"

It broke him out of his violent trance. His eyes whipped over to her. He took in her expression, and the he released John Deer who fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

"Walk." He commanded.

Winn didn't think twice as she hurried towards the car. And then he stopped. Winn turned around to see where his focus now lay.

His piercing gaze was fixated on one man who had his hand on his gun. "If you or anyone else here attempts to shoot I will kill every last one of you."

Then he turned around. Quickly she made her way to the car, desperately wishing to far away from the diner. Away from potential bloodshed on too many people.

The car wheels spun out of the parking lot.

For several minutes they drove in silence, Godric never taking his eyes off the road. He body was tightly wound like an animal straining not to attack.

Finally he spoke.

"You must fight back." His voice was sharp as a whip.

"Either way I try to deal with that situation I'll be at fault. It's better to just walk away."

He gave her such a look that her hands tightened around her seatbelt.

Her voice dropped. "I'm human and human laws govern me. That guy out there will always have more power than I do. And I can't just murder him and every guy who does things like that - we're not vampires."

His hands tightened around the steering wheel and Winn was afraid it's crumble to dust beneath his fingers. "It's not only human."

The tension was smothering and the silence infinite.

She couldn't take it anymore. "Stop the car."

He either didn't hear or chose to ignore her.

"I said stop the car!"

Finally he did, breaking sharply.

She jumped out and distanced herself a bit.

"Winn." He called out at her, flashing to the other side of the car.

She flinched and took a step back and then his expression softened.

He didn't come closer.

"Winn, I'm not angry with you." He said.

She didn't say anything, just looked at him. But he seemed to be relaxing now, even though his shoulders still remained tense and his jaw tight.

"Then . . ." she began, but didn't know how to end the sentence. Because, she knew, his anger did have something to do with her.

"They don't deserve to be here." He finally answered, and his eyes looked down the road. She wondered if he could see the diner from here.

"You don't get to decide that."

There was something that ghosted his expression now, a kind of defeated acceptance. "They make their choices and I make my own."

"I thought you were. . ." What was the right word? "Peaceful."

"I am - was -" he now corrected himself, "for the better part of a century. Yet you are making it unbelievably difficult to remain so."

She folded her arms as she took in the new information, and despite herself, her heartbeat quickened. And she hoped he wouldn't hear it, but of course he did. "Oh." She finally said. "Sorry."

He blinked in surprise at her answer and then shook his head, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "The apology hardly lies with you."

A moment of silence ensued as the tension left the atmosphere. Circadas chirped in the long grass.

"I am still getting used to..." he seemed to ponder his next words carefully, and she couldn't help but notice that was more than the first time he had done that tonight. He seemed to always know what to say. ".. to the permanence of mortality."

She crossed her arms. The situation hadn't escaped her notice. This time it hadn't been a human who had helped her out of a bad situation. It had been a vampire. Still, there were about a dozen humans in that parking lot and none had looked like they were even close to protesting what had happened; they had looked at her like she deserved it.

But Godric had done something.

Even if he had been terrifying - and still was terrifying. No, terrifying wasn't the right word. He was making her uneasy with his rage that was brimming beneath the surface, but she had been scared for the customers of the diner, it for herself. She hated what Deere had done to her, and did want to see some form of justice exacted. But down here politics favoured humans only, and anyone they perceived as a sympathiser was going to be hard pressed to have their voice heard.

But the justice Godric had decided was the right way to go wouldn't have stopped the tension between human and vampire. It wouldn't have alleviated their fear. It barely made hers better.

But . . . He had done it to protect her.

Winn took a few steps closer to him, closing the distance between them. "I-..."

But she didn't know what to say. She had already said thank you, probably enough times tonight. And she didn't know how to say thank you this time.

She was glad when all he did was nod. Then she smiled in gratitude at him.

For a long moment they stood and looked at each other.

Then she threw his own words back at him, earning her a small, sardonic smile. "That was reckless."

The trees passed above them. Finally the moon broke through the branches. "You are right. It would be a lie to say otherwise. But I was not thinking. My scope of focus has become more narrow as of recent and I worry about the consequences."

And for once, Winn thought she understood what he was saying, and that it wasn't just limited to what had happened just now. She couldn't help but feel his words pertained to her as well. She pressed her lips together. She wished they didn't.

They drove back to the house; Winn relaxed into the car seat.

* * *

They sat together in the living room. Godric appeared to be meditating, and Winn was half-heartedly reading a book on the supernatural in the Ardennes, too exhausted to process anything after the events of tonight.

Godric's head snapped up as Eric closed the door behind him. Immediately Godric rose and walked over, meeting his Son halfway at the arch of the living room door.

Eric appeared severely agitated, muscles tensed and hands moving in short staccato rhythm as he spoke. She heard 'Compton' come up at least twice. And as soon as Godric had caught onto the situation his face twisted into frustration.

They spoke in low murmurs, with both Eric and Godric glancing at Winn. And something told her their conversation involved her. And it wasn't good. Her heart picked up.

Just as she was about to demand to know what the conversation was about Godric turned her way, giving his full attention. "Winn I'm sorry, but the Authority knows about your situation."

It was a group she had never heard of before, it she didn't like Eric and Godrics reaction to them knowing about her and neither did she like the connotation of power. The Authority.

"Who are they?" Her voice had become strained.

"They govern our rules, how we act both privately and publicly. The ensure justice is maintained throughout the Areas and step in if need be. Essentially they set the agenda for vampire law and culture." Godric replied.

"And they're a bunch of bureaucrats. Probably why William Compton's been trying to crawl up their ass, he always did like the smell of shit if it shined like gold." Eric drawled, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorway.

She stared at Eric, not understanding.

His eyes went heavenward. "Once Compton found out about your situation, courtesy of a Ms. Sookie Stackhouse, it ended up coming to the knowledge of the Queen of our Area. Well it appeared the two of us came up into conversation between her and an authority member and by proxy: you."

She jumped up, knocking over a lamp. "I'm not going."

Godric understood where her mind had jumped too faster than Eric. "You are not in any trouble. It is a favour they owe me, despite telling Roman some time ago it was merely helpful advice."

"Can't you just tell them you don't want their favour?" Winn asked weakly.

"I cannot. Members of the Authority believe they owe me a favour, and this is how they have chosen to repay me."

"Then - then tell them no."

"That is not how it works unfortunately."

"I don't want to go there. Why do I need to go?" She knew she sounded like a pleading child, but the thought of going to an entire group of vampires - ones who could tell Godric of all people what to do, terrified her.

Godric laced his fingers together as. "Because they believe their favour is helping you."

She opened her mouth and closed it.

Nausea roiled in her stomach like the churning of the sea before a violent storm.

"Think of it as a one-night slumber party, Winnie. Just filled with more people who believe they mean something." Eric said.

"We will leave tomorrow evening. At this point there is only a few hours until dawn; we won't make it to New Orleans in time." Said Godric.

She had a feeling packing up her bags and running wasn't an option. Now she was on the most important vampires radars.

Winn didn't know what to do if The Vampire was there amongst their ranks. She knew they would defend their own. And then she would be dead.

She looked at Godric who walked over to her. "Get some rest. Tomorrow as soon as dusk comes we will leave."

With a shaky breath she nodded. "Yeah, yeah alright."

Eric righted himself to allowed her to pass through the doorway, the second she was out of sight he focused on his Maker.

Pushing himself off the awning he closed the distance between the two. "I have not felt your anger in a long time. It pertains to the human, doesn't it?"

"Your kin." Godric corrected sharply. "Monroe's Diner. Take care of them."

Eric didn't need to be told twice.

"Do not kill them, it will draw unnecessary attention." Godric said, before holding out his palm. Eric took Godric's hand. For a moment Eric stared at him in disbelief. When had he ever cared about preserving human life he had deemed worthless?

Eric inhaled deeply, catching the scent on his Makers palm. He understood. They had to be taken care of, but this man deserved his attention more.

"You know who you are, stop holding yourself ba-"

"The diner." Godric growled, in no mood to hold a discussion with his Son.

For a split second longer he was tempted to push the subject but the sharp warning within their bond made him stop dead in his tracks.

Eric flashed out, taking to the sky. His fangs clicked out.

As he moved through the dark night he thought about how his Maker was behaving in such a near-erratic way that was making him nervous - and how he was beginning to act more like his old self again.

At the centre of it all was Winn.

Eric would need to wait to see if he would need to thank her. One thing was for certain: his Maker was in no mood to hear his opinions on the matter.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Originally this chapter was supposed to be uploaded in December but as usual life got in the way. As this chapter was written on my phone I hope there aren't too many grammar or spelling mistakes lurking around in there.

Guest replies from oldest - newest.

Guest1: thank you for your review! :)

Guest 2: I'm so glad you like the story and the bad communications between the three of them hehe. Only a little dangerous! She's still alive and even managed to get herself some vampire protection. But she sure would benefit from some fast healing.

S.A.: I would never harm old lady characters! (Or would I?). Hmm yes what are the true effects of the tea she drank? I guess time or a big event will tell. As for the tarot cards I wonder what they all mean?

Momo: I love your theories on the daywalker! Yes the whole thing with 'saving her humanity' and the drink will be a point again in the future. Yes Eric is a bit of a jerk - I don't think he can decide whether to have loyalty to his Maker and/or to his human family (and having to be vulnerable towards Winn. Last time he was in that place of vulnerability his entire family was slaughtered, mum like Winn's was).

Guest 3: I do try to update as often as I can. Initially it was set for every week back when I still had the time. Now I try to update as soon as I can, but yes that might be 1 - 3 months :)

Mia: Romance is happening soon, promise!

Guest 4: Here is your update ;)

Marissa: thanks for your review!

Guest 5: Thanks, I want everyone to be multi-dimensional characters


	15. Descent

The rest of the night had been a sleepless one, and by the time the blinds had gone down as the suns first rays had pierced the tree-line she gave up on sleep and slipped out of bed.

Padding to the bathroom she undressed and looked at herself in the full-length mirror before biting her lip. Bruises of all colours littered her body like a Pollack painting. The darkness beneath her eyes had only seemed to deepen since her run-in Eric.

The water ran over her in rivulets until she felt guilty for wasting water.

As she got out and patted herself dry she turned around and looked over her shoulder. The white scars shined in the humidity. Her fingers traced the top scar that reached her shoulder blade.

 _Feet crunching beneath fresh snow._

 _Moonlight reflecting on broken shards of glass beneath the living room window._

 _Breath coming out in white puffs._

 _Closer to inspect._

 _Hands grabbing her shoulders and dragging her inside, over the shattered window with jagged glass rising up like mountains._

 _A scream lost in disorientation and pain._

Blinking harshly she stopped touching the scar.

Godric has said nothing would happen to her. She needed to push the emotion down, and rely on the logic. She wished it was easier done than said.

With jerky movements she put on a dark green long sleeved dress that was found in the closet. She assumed Pam had been forced to create to buy her clothes. It must have been a pain to buy clothing that was not in line with what a BDSM hooker would wear.

She ran a hand through her wet hair before heading downstairs.

Books were scattered around her. Still, she couldn't find it within herself to concentrate. The words on the pages were just jumbled black dots.

The chair scraped across the floor as she stood up harshly.

Right. She was going to go talk to the only other human she knew had excessive dealings with vampires.

Twenty minutes later she found herself in Bon Temps. In the early noon, Merlotte's parking lot was empty.

By that time the Louisiana heat had dried her hair right up. Hastily she tried to comb her fingers through her hair that never could decide if it wanted to go for curls, waves, or be straight. It seemed her hair was as indecisive as she felt at the moment.

Inside was just as empty, except for a man with what appeared to be a bandana around his head. He eyed her up and down. "Now you look like you have too much purpose in life to be from around here."

She looked at him with amusement. "I'm actually looking for Sookie, actually."

"She in the back workin'. But she'll come out in a bit. You look like you need some food, what can I get you?"

"Just a sparkling water." She replied.

He snorted. "Oh you are not from around here with that cute pan-European white girl accent. On a tour to see how we live in the sticks?"

"Just here to see Sookie. Your town is . . . charming."

"Charmin' the adjective you going for? How about we switch places then. On the condition you mourn the finest piece of ass there ever been in this town, 'cus someone has too."

"I'll take a look at my calendar." She answered, corners of her lips twitching.

He waved a greasy spatula. "Listen, I'll cook you up my favourite burger. When the fat starts clogging your arteries, you know it's good."

Her stomach was already speaking up in agreement. "OK, I'll have the artery-clogging burger with a diet coke, just to stay pan-European healthy."

He leaned on the counter, gazing at her again with that self-assured aura he had. "You're alright, Europe. Lafeyette."

She stared at him.

" _My name._ Lafayette."

"Winn." She replied.

He snorted. "And you look at me like I was speakin' a different language. What were you, first born child or something? Parent's planning on puttin' you in those freaky child beauty pageants?"

"It's short for Winifred."

"Ain't making it any better." He said, before disappearing into the kitchen with a flourish of his hand.

Winn took the time to properly survey the diner.

By the time she had memorised the interior design and was on her last few french fries on the plate, Sookie finally appeared in the kitchen.

"Winn." She said, surprise tinging her voice. "Why are you here?"

"I was hoping you could answer a few questions." She answered.

Lafayette threw down the spatula.

"I'm going to go out for a smoke." He said, mimicking a cigarette between his fingers.

"Lafayette!" Sookie hissed, "You can't just do that on the the job."

With the amount of disapproval coming from Sookie, it became clear that Lafayette wasn't talking about the tobacco kind of smoking, but something greener.

"Babygirl listen, the only person who's settin' foot in here for the next few hours is Europe, and that place is like the Wild West except with more men who you can't tell are straight or gay and more drugs. She won't care"

Winn tried to correct him, "That's not actually all tru-", but the door had already swung behind him. Winn turned to look at Sookie. "I really don't care, though."

Sookie's eyed rolled heavenward. "That is so besides the point."

Taking out the still wet tray full of glasses she picked up the first one, whipping a dishrag from the drying rack and began drying the first glass. "Are you here because of Eric?" She asked.

An amused breath left Winn. She shook her head. Eric sucked - no pun intended. She couldn't see a scenario where she would do anything on behalf of her long lost undead family member.

"You know how to . . . read vampires, right?" Winn asked.

"They're not some book you can pick up. And they're really not that difficult to understand." Sookie said as she moved on to another glass to dry.

Winn drummed her fingers lightly against the counter. "What about those of us who do find them difficult to interpret?"

"Have you ever actually tried understanding them? Maybe it's easier than getting them to understand you the whole time."

"I have tried, and I don't feel any closer to any sort of revelations. I don't know what Eric, or Godric, wants with me." She confessed. It felt elating to finally have someone to talk to about vampires, someone who wouldn't try to kill her or beat the crap out of her. This Southern Hospitality she keeps hearing about clearly stops at the dead and their perceived sympathisers. Maybe she could sue her way to safety.

Sookie snorted. "That's not reading vampires, Winn, that's just being oblivious. I mean, Eric's Eric and you'll never know because he's just a big jerk all the time. But Godric, how can't you see he cares? He was all over you when you were bleeding out everywhere."

"He was?" She had been so focused on numbing the pain and dealing with where the trail lead after Newlin that she hadn't truly pondered what had happened while she had been unconscious for a few days.

With a heavy sigh Sookie put down the glass she was cleaning. "Can I say something?"

Winn nodded. It didn't seem like Sookie was going to take no for an answer, anyway.

"I get it, you're scared with what's happened to you. But Godric, he ain't one of the ones you need to be scared off. And I think you're only hurtin' yourself. Everyone needs someone to lean on."

Winn popped the final fry into her mouth. Sookie was probably right, surprisingly enough, and maybe she had brushed the human off too soon. But right now, even if Sookie was sounding level-headed and insightful she just needed something, anything to latch onto. Maybe vampires were readable, but the two she found herself spending a lot of time with seemed as easy to read as a closed book.

Whether by mind reading or taking in Winn's expression, Sookie seemed to understand and went back to answer Winn's original question.

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "They're not like humans. I mean, besides the whole 'undead' thing. I mean, we kind of just evolve and progress. But vampires, they just got a whole lot more instinct and forever doesn't really force much evolving. They'll protect what's theirs, I don't think that'll ever change."

"What about belonging to a vampire?"

"Belonging? That doesn't exist. Claiming sure does: I'm Bills." She said resolutely, like she was re-establishing the fact, despite Winn never having countered it. Maybe she felt she was defending it against someone else.

Winns brow furrowed. "But claiming-"

"Alright I know that both Bill _and_ Eric claimed me. I mean, by vampire rights Bill is the only one who really gets to do that - not that Eric listens to anyone but himself. But I'm my own person, and I sure don't listen to what Eric says; no claim changes that."

Always it had seemed like claiming meant you were nothing more than a pet. But here was Sookie, still working at Merlotte's and doing her own thing, having autonomy of her mind and body.

But there was the surprising revelation that Eric had claimed Sookie, or that Sookie had allowed it. The way Sookie talked about it made it seem like a mutual claiming. Could vampires be claimed by a human?

"If claiming means so much to them, why did you let Eric claim you?" Winn asked.

Her cheeks flushed a light red with embarrassment. "It wasn't on purpose. He just . . . "

And then Winn's lips parted in shock. "You like Eric."

It wasn't a question.

Sookie rapidly shook her head, "Oh no, no I do not."

"You don't need to convince me, I'll think he's an asshole either way." Winn said. "What did Bill do when he found out?"

"Nothing." Sookie replied, before continuing on her defence. "But I really don't like Eric. He's a manipulating self-serving jerk."

Winn's brows furrowed. She didn't know a lot about Bill, but he didn't seem like the kind who wouldn't take a swing at Eric. Especially not when the opportunity was there on silver-platter.

The door swung open, and the first two customers trudged in.

"That's my cue to leave." Winn said, getting up from the seat. She put the cash on the table, more than what the food had probably cost. It should cover the tip too. The tipping concept still confused her and she hadn't taken the time understand it properly, evident in the dirty looks or blinding happiness she received from restaurant staff, depending.

"Sookie? Thanks." Winn said.

"Happy to help." She responded cheerfully.

"Oh, Sookie?" Winn asked again.

Sookies lip curved upwards before she relented. "Yeah?"

She toyed with the sleeves of the dress for a long second before she quietly asked, "How did you do it? Why do you do it - just trust everyone?"

She snorted. "There's a real big difference between trustin' everyone and wanting to see the good in people. And maybe it doesn't always put me in the best place, but it's also given me a hell of a lot of good people in my life and memories I'll treasure forever."

And as she left the diner she was stuck between viewing Sookie as a naive sheltered girl and someone with good intuition. Maybe she was special enough to get to be both. There had to be a reason so many vampires were drawn to her.

She chewed the inside of her lip as she drove back to the house, deep in thought.

Godric had been with her when she was unconscious then. And she knew it was him that had ensured she had received a good doctor to patch her up. He had saved her when she had been drugged. He had made sure she was safe in the supernatural library. He had defended her at the diner.

She realised she didn't think of any of his actions as being specified towards her because she hadn't imagined that he - maybe because he was ancient - wanted too, out of his own volition.

No wonder Eric had the expression that he didn't seem to quite understand her comment about Godric having a duty to all humans. Because he didn't.

An emotional wave of something heady and strong washed over her.

And suddenly she felt like an idiot.

* * *

Winn was sitting cross-legged on the outside rocking chair, watching as the sun went down. She realised as the last of the light disappeared that she hadn't actually asked Sookie what the process of claiming was. Or what it really meant.

A dark SUV drove up the excessively long private road. It pulled down a stop in front of the house.

Curiosity winning over laziness, she got up from her comfortable seating position and went over to the vehicle.

The door lowered immediately. "Ms. Vik?" The chauffer asked. "I will am here to drive you and Godric to the Authority. We will depart as soon as you are ready."

Winn nearly laughed out loud. She was by no means ready.

The car had turned up exactly as the sun had gone down. She headed back inside to find her vampire escort.

Vampire escort. This time she did laugh out loud. In only a few short weeks her life had gone down a path she had never seen coming. Life was stranger than fiction.

As she entered the front foyer she narrowly missed collision with a tall body.

Eric.

"Where's Godric?" She asked.

Eric crossed his arms. "Washing up, getting ready for your merry visit to the Authority."

She nodded. A moment of silence ensued. Then asked the question that had been gnawing at her since she left Merlotte's at noon. "Why didn't Bill punish you when you claimed Sookie?"

There was the slightest raise of blonde brows. At first he seemed taken aback by her sudden question, until he began pondering. Of course, the entire process for him was only a few seconds.

"Now that is quite an interesting question you pose, Winnie. I assume you spoke with Sookie, then?"

"Yeah."

"And what is mine came up?"

This time she did roll her eyes. " _Claiming_ appeared in our talk, and Sookie might have mentioned you have some expertise on that topic."

"All good things, I assume." He said, tone sardonic.

"She wasn't all too happy with it. She wasn't all too unhappy either." Winn answered.

"Oh?" He raised a brow, seeming pleased with this revelation.

Winn had assumed it was something Eric had already known.

"I don't know what is going on between the three of you, I wont try to understand it."

"It's simple. She'll be mine soon."

"Sounds like a healthy relationship." She replied.

More vague Eric with more future intentions he planned to execute. And the worst part was she knew he would be successful in his plans. He always seemed to just _know_ what to do and how to act.

Eric pulled her out of her thoughts. "I'm beginning to think Williams relationship with her is much unhealthier."

"Or maybe Bill just treats Sookie with respect because he took the time to know who she is." Winn said.

Eric took her by her shoulders and pushed her against the wall. And for the force he normally tended to use on her, this was surprisingly gentle; his left hand a few inches higher to avoid touching her wound. "Know this, I understand the parts of Sookie she does not understand or know about herself yet; but I see them and I accept them, I accept their potential. Don't think Godric doesn't see the same in you, little human. Those parts of you you pretend don't exist."

His hand went up to her throat, still relaxed enough that she could breath - but wouldn't be escaping his grip. "You're not mine and I don't have infinite patience, so allow me to take a few more liberties in helping you out."

His fangs snapped out and she flinched, but didn't try to struggle out of his grip. She looked at him evenly. If Sookie had no fear of him she sure couldn't either. But her eyes narrowed in suspicion. He was showing off his fangs for the sole purpose of seeing her reaction.

"You're about to be with some of the most powerful vampires in the world. Adapt, or die." He said simply.

The finality of his tone made her heartbeat pick up. "What does that mean?"

He gave her a look of faux endearence. "You don't seem to understand my Maker too well, then. You will."

"How?"

"Stop forcing him to act like something he's not."

"I haven't forced him into anything." She said, exasperated. Had he met Godric, the two-thousand year old vampire who was seemingly removed from everything around him?

"You have never seen him as he is." His forefinger drummed gently, almost absent-mindedly, against her cheek.

She shook her head. "It's never come up, and Godric is . . . Godric." She finished lamely, out of choice for the right words to describe him with. There were so many words swimming around in her head and none of them seemed close enough - good enough - to use.

"Oh, but he is so _restrained_ around you. That won't last forever Winifred."

Eric's eyes flashed up to the ceiling. He must be hearing his Maker finish his shower. He flashed a smile she wasn't sure was genuine. "Don't do anything I wouldn't."

And with a soft breeze of stirred air he was gone, taking to the night.

Her hand crept up to her throat.

* * *

For most of the way to New Orleans they had sat in silence, with Winns forehead resting against the window. Most of the route was on the highway, and at 1 AM it was nearly deserted.

"We're almost there." Godric announced as they drove off the exit ramp. "The Authority keeps their abode concealed from humans. It's merely a precautionary measure."

She straightened herself and waited for him to elaborate.

"You need to make a choice, whether I will glamour you into forgetting our route, or be blindfolded."

"My mind not working like it should got me into this mess . . . the blindfolding." She decided, but her voice cracked, just a fraction, despite her mantra to be brave.

A dark piece of clothe was already in his hand. She turned slightly in her seat, giving him access to tie it around her head. _You'll be fine, you'll be fine, you'll be fine . . ._

"Is all of this really necessary? Can't I just close my eyes instead?"

"This is how it must be. Are you ready?" He asked, and she closed her eyes as she saw the clothe begin to block her vision.

"Yeah." She said with a small nod, and then another one with more assurance. "I'm ready for the whole vampire thing."

After he secured the bandana he slid his hand down tracing her jew before dipping down to trail along her neck, making her breath hitch. His palm glided down her shoulder and he squeezed gently in assurance. "You'll be fine, Winn."

"I know." She said. "I'm with you."

It was only a short while later that the car stopped briefly. She heard a muffled conversation, and then they were going up a driveway. So there was a checkpoint.

The car stilled. They were at the entrance of the Authority. A place hidden from the human world, with only vampires inside.

"I'll guide you." He said softly. Her hand reached out in the newfound darkness.

And she remembered Sookie's words from earlier. They were much more driven by instinct. She wondered if touching her hand had been as much of a gesture of comfort as it had been marking her. Marking her as his. Marking her as safe.

He held out his hand. She took it.

* * *

 **A/N:**

I know most of you are impatient for Winn to move on from her trauma, and it's been difficult having steady character progression without her jumping the gun on her and Godrics relationship, _but_ I hope the next chapter will be very satisfactory.

Also over 200 follows! (And over 100 reviews!). As a story with both an OC and one who hated vampires in the beginning I didn't think I would be getting over 20 follows for this story (not to mention TB ended years ago). To wrap up: I'm a happy writer right now. Thank you everyone!

Reviews from oldest to new:

Guest 1: I understand where you're coming from. I think she's at crossroad between not harming anyone again and perpetuating cycle(s) of violence, and fighting back with the necessary means without feeling guilty. Also yes, the her stubborn tug-of-war attitude is one that sometimes causes her more difficulties, but the next chapter really cements for her that bad people and good people can be any species and causes a more radical and permanent attitude shift for her :) Thank you for reviewing kind guest!

Guest 2: RS is running parallel with a few of the plots from TB, so certainly this chapter affects the Bill and Sookie relationship, as Eric begins investigating Bills relation to Merlottes favourite waitress with more scrutiny. For your second point: Winn will begin to let herself become more vulnerable around Godric (and vise versa). Strong and independent sometimes means letting others help you.

S.A.: Winn was joking about eating on certain days! (Though her dietary habits needs to improve. Well, her entire health does, she's like a walking punching bag at the moment.) I am a lazy writer, so I have't scrolled through the previous chapters, but Winn talks (or through a memory) about how The Vampire that killed her parents dragged her in through the window, so the jagged parts that hadn't been broken is what she was pulled over.

Guest 4: Thank you for your review!


	16. Consumption

The guest room they had been placed in while waiting to meet the Authority was opulent. Chinese tapestry's adorned the walls, an ancient Greek vase was placed atop an old oak coffee table, and beneath her feet was a dark Persian rug that was was wearing into the ground as she paced back and forth.

They had arrived a little over half past one. At four A.M. the sun was going to come up soon and the Authority had told them nothing.

Godric was in a corner, hands interlaced as he had retreated somewhere in his head, eyes unseeing.

Finally she couldn't stand the uncertainty any longer. "What's happening? Will we even meet them?"

She didn't want to think of what would happen if they had altered course from a polite conversation to something more . . . vampiric.

His head snapped up. There was the faintest air of frustration around him. "Calm yourself."

"I'll _calm_ myself once I know what's going on."

His voice was curt. "These vampires are part of a nest, and have been so for hundreds of years, living and feeding together."

She picked up a water bottle from the small fridge in the corner. "Okay?"

He began towards her. "All of this emotion you project does not need to be witnessed by them. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

"To pretend I'm a corpse?" Her voice rose a fraction.

"Nest vampires are colder and more calculating than those who interact with humans. They run on instinct far beyond that of those above ground."

". . . you . . . you didn't say that before."

"You accepting the invitation was a necessity."

"Well then I was dead the second we drove past those gates."

"Yet here I thought you did not want to live anyway." He replied with a hint of mockery.

"What do you want?" She snapped at him.

"They are instinctual. You are nervous." He said, taking a step closer.

She understood what he was saying. She was acting fearful, and predators became more amped up when they smelled their prey's weakness.

But he was asking her to do something impossible and she shook her head rapidly.

"No. I _can't_. I have tried doing the whole 'no emotions' thing - I have tried so hard - like you and Eric do. But I can't." The bottle dropped out of her trembling hands and rolled past him. "I am underground with the most powerful vampires in the world; I can't pretend my emotions don't exist."

There was a long pause. The seconds ticked by and she swallowed, looking sharply away and focusing on a particular tile on the floor.

"No," he finally said, "I suppose you cannot."

He cupped her face, cool fingers brushing her cheek and moving into the strands of her hair. He tilted her face upwards. "You are simply human."

"Yeah." She said forcefully. "I am."

"Then you must keep quiet and let me speak." He said softly.

She nodded once. "I can do that."

"Are you listening to my command?"

"Don't get used to it." She replied lightly, taking a step back. But there was something she needed to know, and she didn't feel any relief in his words yet. "You told me, back in Shreveport that I was safe with you."

"And you are."

" _Promise me._ " She said, staring at him unblinkingly. She needed to know where she stood with him. Truly stood. Right now she didn't need his frustratingly vague and complex sayings and ways of answering questions. She needed something more direct.

The softness in his voice did little to disguise the burning conviction in his answer. "Winifred Vik I promise you that you are under my protection and nothing will happen to you, as sure of this as I am of the moon setting and the sun rising."

She swallowed.

"Okay." She whispered.

There was a knock on the door. It was time.

* * *

She followed Godric down the long hallways and staircases, deeper into the Authority's building. Her face had turned into an impassive expression and she kept her arms close to her body. Everything in this building had been built with a refined touch, from the marble awnings to the statues and vases displayed.

He lead her right into the Authority's main chambers. A beautiful golden candelabra which flowed outwards hung on the ceiling, hundreds of candles perched on it and emitting a soft golden glow, warming up the room from the otherwise cold feel. But it was not the ceiling light that got her attention, nor the beautiful marble that covered the floor and went up to the ceiling.

It was the dozens of vampires in the room who were all close together in a convex crowding. Winn followed Godric to the centre of the room, and the vampires moved to close in on them a little.

Behind her was a layer of glass that separated them from another smaller room, albeit strangely empty.

All of the vampires were stoic and poised perfectly as they stood. All of them were naturally pale. Still, Godric was a ghostly white next to their pallor.

In the middle of the crowd, one step forwards from the rest was a broad man, his bright blue shirt hugging his muscles snuggly. "Godric, I trust you had a good trip to our home?" A man asked.

"Yes, thank you Guardian Zimojic." Godric replied.

He grinned and clasped his hands together. "Come Godric, I'm still just Roman."

Godric replied with a thin smile.

"Godric." The second vampire greeted. He was tall and lean, with long dark curls that stopped at his sharp jawline. Perhaps it was in his features, or the hint of a dangerous masked beneath feigned politeness, but he could well have been a fallen angel. Unlike most of the vampires here dressed up looking like they were at Wallstreet or going to an expensive charity gala, he was dressed in biker boots, jeans, and a fitting white shirt.

"Teobaldus, it has been a long time." Godric said.

"A mere hundred years, old friend." Teobaldus replied with warmth. Maybe she was imaging it, but there seemed to be the slightest bite to his words. What history did the two of them share?

"This is the human, Winifred Vik?" Teobaldus asked, seeking official confirmation. His eyes fell upon her for the briefest of seconds, seemingly out of a politeness to Godric, rather than any notion of care towards her.

"It is." Godric replied.

"Ms. Vik, the name of the law-breaker, if you will." Teobaldus requested, grey eyes finally focusing on her. There was a detachment in his gaze, as if he were looking at an inanimate object he had no interest in. Her jaw tightening was the only change in her schooled features.

"Ms. Vik has been glamoured to conceal the name from us all. I believe that is why we are here." said Godric, with the briefest hint of exasperation in his tone.

"How long has this glamouring been going on for?" Teobaldus asked Winn.

Godric answered. "Four years. I am sure you received all the facts before we came here."

"I believe she can answer for herself, unless the poor girl has become mute?" A refined female vampire said with a Russian accent, taking a step forwards. Her light blond curls brushed against her shoulders as she revealed herself from the crowd. The silken gown moved against her body like a second skin.

A warning flashed in Godric's eyes. "This human has revealed everything she knows to me. Whether it is her or I who answers your questions should be of no concern to you."

The blonde pursed her lips. "Answers must be found, you understand. The bloodshed caused has turned into a vampire conspiracy formed by the humans, and it is beginning to harm human and vampire relations. Nan Flannigan has been on top of squashing these rumours, but we fear that without proper penance this elusive vampire of ours will strike again and then this will all be that much harder to contain. That is no good."

"No good indeed." Teobaldus agreed.

"We need more information than the vampire is a male. Surely Ms. Vik has more, otherwise you have come a very long way to give us to little." She said, pointing her words at Winn instead of Godric.

Despite her sweaty palms she was surprised at how steady her voice was. "I have nothing more, I'm sorry."

If Godric was annoyed about speaking up he didn't show it.

Regret flashed in Roman's eyes before he gave sharp nod. "Now."

Godric hissed as he was grabbed by two other Ancients. And then in a flash he was in the room, separating them by a glass wall.

He was forced down onto his knees. Someone placed a hand on her shoulder, grounding her. Teobaldus' voice rasped in her ear, "If you don't write down the name of the law-breaker, then know that every pain he suffers is beholden to you."

"Wh-" She began and cried out in horror as a third vampire had appeared holding a long, heavy metal chain; it descended with a crack. Godric's back arched.

She ran forwards before a set of hands yanked her back, grabbing her arm.

She jerked serpentine, nails scraping across her assaulters face. Blood surged forwards in four long lines across his cold cheek. Teobaldus hissed in pain before yanking her closer, securing both of her hands behind her back in an iron grip.

She struggled and writhed against the cool shackles of his hands to no avail. She stomped her foot down onto the vampires but if he even felt it he made no sign of showing it. It was useless. She was in no position to free herself. Neither was Godric.

The whip descended again. "No - no! Stop it! Stop!" She screamed, struggling with more ferocity. "Please!"

Godrics eyes locked with hers, "Look away Winn!" He snarled. Fury as dangerous as all-consuming flames danced in his darkening eyes.

But she couldn't - oh she couldn't look away. The room around her slipped away. All she saw was Godric. And the whip. Blood sprayed onto the three vampires faces.

Helplessness like a tsunami overpowered her, drowning her and pulling it down into the frigid dark depths. She didn't think about struggling anymore. The fight left her; she didn't even notice the vampires grip loosen a fraction in response.

"It's meaningless; don't pay attention." He commanded, before his face contorted in pain and rage as the whip blurred again. But she wasn't listening to anything he was saying. Everything was muted like she was underwater.

"Please." She cried out, begging the leaders to let him go. She couldn't do it. She couldn't give them what they wanted.

The voice whispered in her ear again, and it seemed to coil around her mind like a dark tentacle, "Tell us the name of the law-breaker and all of this will stop."

"I can't. I can't!" But she had too. The whip cracked again and he writhed under their grip. It was her fault. All the pain, every moment that passed and she was powerless again. She had to get the name, she had to force it out. Breathing became impossible as an invisible force weighed on her chest. But the name stayed out of her mind like an elusive force. She knew she had heard Him scream it in her own house during a hysterical tirade, but now they needed her to recall it and it was just out of reach.

"Stop hurting him!" She cried.

There was a livid growl from Godric as the whip came down again, and the atmosphere tensed. Several vampires ducked their heads as a tittering nervousness rolled over the crowd.

The whip descended again, strong and hard enough to split stone. Tears blurred her vision; all she could see was the outline of the Ancient on his knees and the blood that coloured her vision every few seconds.

A pen and paper were placed on the ground and Winn was tossed down. "Write it." A voice said behind her. She crawled over to the tools and took the pen in trembling hand.

She had to get the name out, she had to fight the glamour that was now tightening around her mind like a snake coiling to snuff the life out of its prey. A bead of blood hit the paper. She felt as if a bomb had exploded inside of her skull. Trembling hands went up to her nose and pulled back again; her nose was bleeding.

Another bead of blood splattered the paper and she forced the pen to the paper. Still, the name could not be written. Could not be remembered. Could not be said.

There was a cry of shock from someone in the crowd as she saw all three of the vampires hit the ground unconscious before Godric appeared in front of her.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I can't - I can't-"

His hand went around to the nape of her neck and pulled her closer gently. "I told you to look away." He breathed, before he looked up through his lashes behind her. With a sneer he disappeared in a flash and Winn turned around, palms pressed into the unforgiving marble.

All of the vampires bared their fangs to the danger in front of them. Godric's teeth remained blunt.

There was a gust of air that left Roman before he was forced onto his knees, Godrics hand plunged deep into his chest. "I didn't harm her." Roman struggled to get out as a small trail of blood ran out the side of his lips.

"If you believe finding a perceived loophole in my request will save you, then you are wrong. True to your word you did not harm her - physically. I would have presumed her mental health was not something I needed to clarify, Roman Zimojic."

"It was to help you - to help her! We figured enough stress, enough of an alternative belief, could break her out of the control." Roman coughed.

"You were wrong."

"Godric, stop this madness!" A dark skinned man pleaded.

Godric didn't stop sneering down at the vampire squirming beneath him as he addressed the pleader. "Your faux pacifism is meaningless, Kibwe."

"We have been allies for centuries. I would not cross you." Roman spit out.

Several vampires had their fangs bared now, prepared to attack. He didn't seem perturbed by their behaviour. He didn't even look up. "Do any of you think you are a match for me? I am Godric. I am Death. I was responsible for the Great Culling. I have killed vampires older than you can imagine. Here in this court are supposed to be the most intelligent political minds meant to rule our community. All I see are fools."

The silence was smothering. More blood trickled out of Romans mouth.

The female vampire spoke again, "We paid back the debt we have owed you. The Authority worked to solve this complicated issue to the best of our abilities. It did not succeed but it was done in goodwill. Let there be no more bloodshed, let there be no true deaths tonight." She paused, seeing if he was listening. When he remained rigid where he was, she continued, "You have the right to stay for as long as you wish, and when you leave we will grant you and your human the most comfortable and opulent journey to wherever you wish to travel too."

A female spoke up in hasty defence of their actions, "We smell no claim, and- "

Another male vampire spoke from the shadows, "Surely you have not taken a mate-"

"What she is to me carries holds no relevance to you. The terms of the debt you were to pay back with were laid down meticulously clear." He hissed.

Several vampires face changed to shock as their stare changed from Godric to Winn. It was as if the vampire from the shadows had issued a profound revelation. Slowly his hand retracted from Romans chest and he fell over onto all fours, coughing, blood splattering the stone.

His eyes flickered over the several tense vampires in front of him. "We will not stay long."

Then he turned around and helped Winn up, sliding a hand around her waist as he navigated her out of the room. As she looked behind her, she saw all of the vampires remained still as stone. Only their eyes moved, gazes intently trained on the both of them in fear and contempt.

She leaned on him heavily, her head spinning. It felt as if there were a cement block weighing on her brain, one preventing her from thinking straight. The stone hallways felt endless. Only her shoes made noise as they walked. And as they turned a corner nothing felt quite real, like this was all just another terrible dream. She was lost in the underground maze of the Authority, with no marble awning and no hallway looking any different from the rest.

Finally they made it to the guest room they were originally placed in. Godric shut the door behind him without looking and turned to look at her. Then he disappeared and before she had time to protest he was back holding a tissue. His expression was marred with concern - over her. Why wasn't he focused on himself? Why wasn't he disappointed in her for not doing more? She should've a way.

He began lightly dabbing away the blood underneath her nose, "Why would you not look away when I told you too?"

Her voice trembled. "Because they were hurting you and it was my fault."

He tossed the tissue on the floor. Then he nodded his head to where a black chair was situated, behind a coffee table. It was tall and curved inwards like an eggshell.

As he turned around she sucked in a sharp breath. His entire back was slick with dark red blood. The shirt had been torn to shreds but she couldn't see what was skin or shirt anymore. How could he possibly say he wasn't hurt when she was seeing the effects right in front of her. It made her vision blur with unshed tears. Sitting down in the chair he motioned for her and she came immediately. "I promise you, I am healed."

She sank down in front of him, the weight of what had just happened hitting her all at once. In one swift movement he removed his shirt and tossed it across the floor.

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Y-you were supposed to be stronger, and-"

"I have not fed in a very long time."

She stared at him for a moment, and in his eyes she saw her own reflection, a mixture of guilt, fear, and overwhelming concern. His voice held conviction, but he couldn't possibly be healed. She had seen the torture with her own eyes. Some of the blood had run in small rivulets down his chest, creating microscopic rivers along his tattoo.

He cupped her face gently. "I promise you, Winn."

Blood smeared her cheek.

Heart pounding wildly, Winn rose on her knees so that they were level with each other. Tentatively her hands reached around his torso to his back. Her fingers were lighter than a feather, fearful of finding out just how bad the damage was. They skimmed his back over. He looked at her unblinking, taking in every minuscule shift in her expression. Slowly she pressed her fingers down into his cool skin. There was blood, but no wounds. Her palms glided over the hard planes of his back before they flattened down; it was smooth as marble.

Her eyes glistening with unshed tears she looked up at him in pure relief and awe. "There's nothing."

"Oh, Winn." He breathed, surging forwards.

She drew a sharp intake of surprised breath as his lips touched hers. And then she matched him, her hand gripping his shoulder. Fingers raked past her neck and into her hair, tangling and keeping her there. Her own nails pressed down into the tunic as she closed her eyes.

He drew her up into his lap as if she weighed nothing at all. His kiss was gentle but she sensed the urgency - the hunger, behind it.

His hands were unrelenting against the gentle curves of her body. He didn't let her gather herself as she pulled away to take a breathe; his lips glided across her jaw.

Liquid heat coiled around her.

She shouldn't be doing this. Cool tongue swept across her lower lip, but it did nothing to stop the burning heat that was igniting. Her thoughts scattered and disappeared like wisps of smoke. He trailed down past her jaw to the delicate curve of her neck.

His lips pressed against her exposed throat, kissing a line down until he ended at her wildly jumping pulse.

As his lips laid claim to her throat she tilted her head back instinctively, and at the exposure she felt the rumbling growl of deep approval against her throat that sent a shiver through her, both of fear and desire.

Allowing the vampire in front of her whose very veins thrummed with raw power more access to the most very vulnerable part of her was what he needed, as a hand gripped her waist and the other landed on her knee, sending blazing heat in its wake. It was submission she had offered him.

Slim fingers tightened against the corded muscle of his bicep and shoulder, reminding her of every bit of the predator he was.

He was kissing her again with more intensity before she could comprehend it and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing closer. The only sound was the blood roaring in her ears. She jerked back as she suddenly remembered all of the vampires in this facility again. "The vamp-"

"They are all sensible enough not to come in here." His tone carried a promise, and she believed him.

There was a fierceness in his eyes.

"I want to see you." She finally whispered.

His eyes flickered between hers, gauging her seriousness before his lips parted and two fangs shot out with a soft click. A thrill of fear go down her spine and she swallowed. But she remained in his lap, thighs nestled around his hips as if she belonged there. His eyes were trained on her face as he remained stone still.

They were longer, wider, than she had ever seen before. He was an apex predator, and a magnificent one. Slowly her finger reached out and then glided across one. It was strong and smooth as ivory. His lids slid shut and cool breathed fanned her as he let out a small sigh. She trailed down the fang, reaching the end. With her thumb she gently placed pressure, fascinated at its sharpness. Two weapons that could leave death and destruction in their wake. Two weapons that had left death and destruction in their wake. He inhaled sharply as she pushed a fraction further.

There was a tiny prick of pain as the tooth pierced her skin. She began to withdraw her hand, looking at the dark bead of blood when he grabbed her wrist. It was only his eyes that asked permission. She saw herself in his darkening eyes consumed with hunger. Her head tilted upwards as he pulled her thumb closer.

There was the briefest pause as he allowed her this last chance to stop him. And then his tongue pressed against the wound and dragged upwards and her breath hitched in response. As she felt the scrape of a fang she thought he was going to take more, but instead his lips brushed her knuckles in gratitude. And she found herself releasing a small shaky breath of relief she hadn't realised she had been holding. She couldn't give him that part of her.

He raised his arm before biting into his own wrist, never dropping his searing gaze. The excess blood ran down his arm like bloody streams, intertwining with each other. He retracted his fangs. Twisting his arm around, she was exposed to the open wound. Black pupils expanding like an explosion that threatened to swallow her whole.

Winn didn't know why he wanted this, but he had saved her multiple times. She knew that vampire blood could heal her - but she wasn't injured. Eric had offered her his blood once, and even Bill had without knowing her. Now Godric was, wrist extended in offering. But he had been tortured because of her and he wanted this and she wanted to give this to him. What it meant was something she didn't understand, and she shivered with the unsaid implications.

 _Adapt or die._

"Stop thinking." He commanded. And she did. Her hands gripped his arm and dragged it closer. The flow of blood slowed down as the wound began healing. Inches away her eyes flickered up to catch his expression. The darkness in his eyes was dragging her down into their unknown depths.

" _Habere eam."_ His voice was husky. She didn't need to understand the words to know their meaning. Closing her eyes she pressed her lips to the wound. She had expected it to be cold as ice. Instead it was just a degree warmer than room temperature. Her tongue darted out tentatively - and then she fell against him with a moan.

It was heady and rich. It was spices and red wine and and tangy iron and blood _._ And it tasted like life itself.

Uncertainty was replaced with fire in her veins as she pressed closer, trying to eliminate the remaining space between them, trying to consume the blood fully. Everything else in her mind had been plunged into darkness. There was only herself, the blood and Godric.

He drew a breath so sharp it sounded like a hiss. His hand gripped her hip so hard she thought she may shatter, and so hard he kept her from drowning in the strong current. Winn whimpered as everything exploded around her.

Her hips bucked forwards. His lip jerked and eyes turned ravenous, looking like he was going to devour her. She sucked harder in an effort to get more blood as her eyes shut. Words were growled in an unfamiliar language. His hand slid from her knee to her thigh, thumb brushing dangerously close to the apex of her thighs. She clung to him like he was a lifeline in the middle of the stormy ocean, threatening to sweep her away.

She tried to slide closer, to bring his hand further up to relieve a mounting pressure.

Fangs snapped out with a _schnick._

Her eyes flew open and she pulled back instantly.

She saw herself reflected back in the dark desire pooling in his blackened pupils, nearly swallowing the iris's whole.

Her cheeks were flushed, red swollen lips parted to let in ragged breaths, and eyes half lidded.

There was the faintest colour in his cheeks hidden beneath the normal parlour of his skin. His hair was mussed from the way her hands had run through it and tugged and held onto it as if she needed to anchor herself to something.

His breathing had grown shallow. She had never seen him look so unstrained before, untethered from the calm that normally had him bounded. He looked like a wild animal about to lunge at her.

She wanted to drown in it. She wanted to run away before he consumed her wholly.

A new instinct, one more foreign, had her stilling herself completely and lowering her gaze. There was an intuitive feeling that was whispering to her. Predators lunged at prey who reacted, and right now she was the prey who had to become very, very still. For a long time her heart was pounding wildly against her chest, the only movement in the room. _Fearing_ him was the wrong word, but if she didn't become still now and stop what was happening, then she knew whatever happened next he wouldn't be able to control himself anymore. She tried to control her heaving chest, calming her breathing.

He blinked several times, muscles tightening as he regained control. The primitive expression of ravenous desire was hidden away in the diminishing darkness. For a minute he stopped his breathing entirely.

Only when he was sure he could control it did he allow her scent, her blood, her pheromones, to pierce him again.

Placing two fingers beneath her chin he raised her head, framed by a wild mess of hair. Her eyes were bright emeralds in the dim lighting, lips full and vibrant, and a blush was seared across her cheeks. His own life was everywhere within, boosting her vitality.

He frowned. "I have given you too much." Placing his palm on her cheek he ran a finger across her bloody, swollen lips.

Her voice was smooth, nearly melodic. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You will see things. Not as you did the last time." He said, and this time the disdain in his voice was certain, before lightening. "This time you will be in full control."

"Oh." She said, as she finally understood. Beneath the tattoo on his chest was glimmering lights, all around the tattoo like cracks of light escaping. Her fingers traced around it, fascinated.

She felt a gentle pleasure from the contact that made her breath quicken a fraction in response. He gathered her hands together, away from his skin.

He looked like a lion coiled to jump. "Do not test my self-control."

Some small part of her knew with complete confidence that he would not harm her, foolish as it was. Mostly she just felt giddy, running off a high she wanted to chase forever. "Why not?"

His eyebrow rose. "Because I want to do such dastardly things to you that my name becomes an incoherent mess on those sweet lips of yours."

"Oh." She blinked.

A sly smile was forming on his lips at her expression. "Does that surprise you so?"

And then the lights went off, plunging them into pitch-black darkness. Winn jumped out of his lap in shock.

His hand wrapped around her wrist, keeping her semi-orientated. "It is daylight outside. All of the lights go off automatically down here."

She blinked several times as her eyes tried to adjust, but failed to do so. Losing a sense suddenly was causing her mild discomfort. And she must be hallucinating now, because she swore she heard the sound of running water in the pipes in the walls briefly. But that wasn't humanly possible. And she shouldn't have been able to hear the material of Godric's tunic and pants move against one another as he stood up.  
She stifled a yawn as her body automatically reacted to the darkness.

"You have not slept for two days now and you are exhausted."

She tried to wave him off. "I'm never been more awake."

"You need sleep, _Sinni._ "

Her brow furrowed. "What does _Sinni_ mean?"

She almost felt his amusement at the way the word didn't roll off as smoothly off her tongue as it did his.

"Another time." He guided her forwards to the bed.

She breathed in exasperation. Right. Expecting one straight-forwards answer had already been a victory, but expecting more had been idealistic.

But as she used her hands to ease her way into the bed she felt her the energetic giddiness fade as the situation outside the room weighed on her. "What's going to happen when the sun goes down?"

"We will be speaking with Roman before we leave here. The others, I am sure, will not be there this time."

The contempt tightened around her chest. Godric had told her they were cold. That they were calculating. But she hadn't expected that. She should have - she of all people, should have. But -

"I have been quiet too long and they grew too confident. They have understood their place now." He said.

And then there was pressure on the other side of the bed as he flashed to the other side. The vampire speed in the darkness should have made her scared, but the nerves that had instinctively flared up began fading slowly.

He didn't come closer to her, staying a respectful distance from her. She turned onto her side, and kept her eyes open even though she saw nothing. Nothing except for the glimmer of silver-white light that seemed to be flowing everywhere like the aurora borealis.

"And you're not hurt - you really mean it?"

There was no answer she she wondered if he had fallen asleep as the daylight worked it's odd magic. But he answered, and he sounded equal part taken-apart and in disbelief. "You are worried about me."

It was her turn to be taken aback. "I saw what they did to you. How could I not be?"

It was the first time she heard him breathe a laugh and that sound alert made her chest tighten as she imaged what he sounded like with a real, carefree laugh. "I promise you, I have never felt better."

She nodded. It was a sentence she didn't know how to properly comprehend, or how to react. But the nights events were taking away the last energy reserves she had. Her eyelids dragged down and her body relaxed into the soft bed. With the last bit of energy left she kicked off her shoes, shoving them off the bed.

Everything was silent.

"We are both the worst and the best humanity has to offer. The most evolved - and the least. That you can put aside your fear for me is a miracle. I do not take it lightly." He said, but she was already asleep.

For the first time in a long time, she felt safe.

* * *

 **A/N:**

If I may so boldly say that receiving a review or two may, possibly, potentially, maybe, be very awesome for this tipsy writer. Or, putting it in another way, I would not reject a review or two.

Can writers give opinions on their own stories? I'll risk it.  
I decided to take the route of Winn showing care and affection much the same way Eric does, because family. Words aren't used, but actions speak louder than words do. She was fighting the glamor so hard she got a nose bleed just to make them stop torturing Godric (which he has not forgotten about - partially because it negatively affected Winn, partially because it's an insult to a vampire of his age to do shit like that, even if he cares as little for bureaucracy as Eric). Just like Eric, her care tends to run deeper than either of them are aware of, or at least refuse to acknowledge.  
But to the point most of you are probably much more hyped about: yes, yes that was a kiss after 15 chapters and over 80,000 words. And third time is the charm with drinking blood, ooer. G-Positive. (that was a terrible pun I'll retreat back into my dark cave to write more chapters).  
But Winn just needed a push in the right direction. A violent, bloody push.

I'll respond to all wonderful reviews from the previous chapter as soon as I have time, promise.


	17. Dark Moon

She woke with a start. Propping herself up on her elbows she stared into the darkness. A light sheen of sweat covered her body and the sheets had been thrown off long ago. A fire had ignited in her body, burning everything it it's path straight down to her fingertips.

"Do you feel that?" He murmured in the darkness, sounding as if he was at the foot of the bed. "My blood is consuming you."

She gave a shaky breathe and her eyes tried to pinpoint him from his voice. A small crease drew between her brows as she tried to articulate what she was feeling, "I need . . . "

"Me." He finished.

Her heart skipped a beat. "Please." She managed to choke out, not quite knowing what it was she needed. There was a beast inside of her, determined to satiate its thirst. Her legs rubbed together without thought.

He crawled up the bed, muscles rolling. The silence was deafening.

His hand slid up her leg, and pulled it out to the side. Bending down he lightly nipped her calf, teeth pinching the skin, hard enough to leave a bruise. It was the first little claim towards mapping her body. His lips dragged upwards, past the crook of her knee, trailing up her thigh, leaving goosebumps rippling in his wake.

His cool hands were no match for her burning and flushed body. It was a welcomed reprieve.

The tip of his nose moved from her inner-thigh, brushing against her clothed sex. He raked upwards. She jolted upwards with a gasp, desperate to close the gap.

His hand held down her hip. "Incredibly undisciplined." He murmured, cool breathe hitting the exposed skin above her underwear as his eyes flashed up to connect with hers. "You are intoxicating . . . and desperate."

In one swift movement he ripped the garment in half.

"Every time you move, I will stop. Do you understand?" He asked as his fingers lightly traced her bundles of nerves.

"Yes, yes!" She gasped, jerking upwards. Desire sharp as lightning shot through her veins and gathered in fiery heat below.

He pushed her hip down sharply into the bed again. "You moved."

No more did he touch her as he moved upwards, so close she felt the air shift between their bodies.

Why was he being so cruel?

"I have wanted this since I met you." He said, and she realised she had spoken out loud. "I have exercised insurmountable restraint. You will do the same."

His lips glided across her taut collarbone, before he moved upwards to her neck, tongue flicking against the pounding pulse beneath. Her hands curled into the covers to keep herself still with the last restrained she had left.

His finger glided downwards in a feigned lazy manner down her torso, but as he went down he detoured, tracing her inner thigh instead. Blood was roaring in her ears.

Soft lips brushed against the shell of her ear. "And you will obey me; you need this too much to make it stop."

He cupped her breast, thumb running over her nipple. In her whimper was submissive acceptance.

She gripped the sheets harder. "I will, I will. Please." She gasped as his hand shot down and stroked her aching need. Once again the touch was feather-light, teasing. Control was his. The fire was building to an inferno.

"What will you give me?" His breathe was cool against her neck.

"Everything." She said, biting back a moan.

Then he vanished, leaving her cold.

The bed disappeared as she hit the ground harshly, legs giving out beneath her. The room had changed. No longer was it the Authority's guest room, but a damp room build only with stones. Her breathe came out in white puffs as goosebumps rippled across her skin. The room was dimly lit.

Her body was slick with blood; she was covered head to toe in it, like she had bathed in it. Her body began trembling fiercely, shaking like a leaf about to be torn down from its branch. "N - no." Her breath came out in a panicky gust. Suddenly there was movement in the corner of her vision and she turned her head sharply.

All of a sudden the scene changed and she was in a dungeon, a metal dog collar around her neck, and wrists chained. Still, she was covered head to toe in blood. But it wasn't her own. She moved again and the dried liquid cracked like fissures.

All of the vampires from the Authority were there. Eric and Pam and Isabel and Stan stood with the rest. Their fangs glinted from an unknown source of light as they stared at her unblinking, feral hunger consuming their eyes.

Several were hunched over in feral positions, and some were lowering to the ground, slithering slowly towards her, limbs jerking too sharply. There was a yank on her leg and she fell onto her back. Winn tried to scramble up but a body hovered over her.

It was Godric. His hair was longer now, down to his shoulders and it fell forwards, brushing her breast. His fangs were extended, just like every other vampire. A dark smile appeared on his face as he stared at the prey beneath him, tracking every twitch of fear she exuded.

"The pain can be pleasurable if you scream loud enough." He muttered, looking up at her through long lashes. He smelled like iron and earth.

"No. Plea- " Her throat contracted in fear and she could get no more words out. His palm splayed on her belly and despite herself she felt the faintest pang of pleasure, coiling below. In a flash he was now at her thigh. His nose brushed against the inside of her thigh before he reared his head back like a cobra. Then he struck.

There was a weight on her shoulders and she was being jerked to the side.

Winn awoke with a gasp, eyes fluttering awake. Someone shook her shoulders again, hovering over her. She opened her mouth to let out a scream and a hand covered her mouth. "- promise you I am here now. You are safe." The voice whispered with urgency.

It took her a moment to become fully conscious and realise it was Godric. He is hidden in the impenetrable darkness of the room. She fought to scramble away from the contact, "Let go of me - let go!" She whimpered.

He held onto her tighter. Her head whipped around in the darkness, but there was nothing to be seen.

"There is only me. You are safe." He whispered fiercely into her hair as he held her tightly.

After another moment she separated nightmare from reality. But it had felt so real. All of it had felt so real. The night terrors had been happening since that night, but never had it felt like it was truly another reality she hadn't been able to escape. Her free hand that wasn't clinging to him went to feel her body. It was slick with perspiration, but no blood.

She buried her head in the crook of his neck as she squeezed her eyes shut. A voice whispered in the back of head she should take of her night terrors privately, she didn't need any support.

But her fingers gripped him tighter. It was as if he didn't know how to respond to someone seeking comfort in him; his hand remained tightly on her arm.

Then his hands wrapped around her frame, pulling her in tightly, nearly so tight she had to wonder if it was would leave bruises as he pushed the breathe out of her. His body became a cage, trapping her in. And keeping everything else out.

Her voice was shaky when she finally spoke. "What time is it?"

"Close to seven. The sun is setting. We are meeting Roman soon."

As she tried to sit up she realised she was not only twisted in the covers, but her panties were soaked. A blush seared across her cheeks. She was becoming sure now that being twisted in the sheets was more due to writhing in need rather than fear.

* * *

The lights were on and she had to reluctantly accept that she wouldn't be able to change any clothes until they were back at the house. As they were walking towards Roman's office she became acutely aware of how she must smell, of Godric's blood and arousal. If vampire's increased sense of smell was anything to go by, they would know. She pulled down her dress subconsciously.

"What am I to you?" She asked.

"Mine." He said and she nearly stopped in her tracks. _Mine._ The first time she had heard the words from him. But she had already known of claims, of that one simple word. But the possessiveness and the pride that came out of him in that one word startled her.

The two guards who stood at the door hastily pushed them open as Godric strolled forwards, yet remained close to Winn.

Roman sat behind the large oak desk, and looked up with a smile. In contrast to the other rooms, Guardian Zimojic's office was surprisingly bare. There was one black leather couch, a rug beneath, and a coffee table with several mundane books on art and photography. Behind him was two landscape photos, somewhere that looked like Europe. His desk was neat and orderly.

He stood up. "Godric, Ms. Vik." He greeted.

"Roman." Godric gave a nod in greeting.

Suspicion and contempt at the man in front of her welled up within. She remained silent as she looked at him with open disdain and distrust.

Godrics hand found itself to the small of her back, and the lightest pressure was applied. "Go on."

"Call me Winn." She said, words clipped.

He walked closer and held out his hand. "I know first impressions are most notable, but please, allow me to give a second."

After a moment she reluctantly reached out to shake his hand, brokering some type of peace between them. The pads of his fingers were coarse, and she wondered what he had been in his former human life. A farmer? Warrior?

"Come." His hand swept to the couches. "Sit, please."

As they sat on the couch, Roman eased himself onto the edge of the coffee table. "I apologise about our introduction yesterday night. Normally we have a much more relaxed greeting with our guests, but it was time to attempt another method for your particular case."

"Evidently." She answered.

After a long beat he saw she wasn't going to elaborate on anything, and breathed a laugh. But she was doing as Godric had told her. After yesterday night's show she had certainly taken his advise to heart. Roman was going to get as little out of her as possible.

"It is interesting, Winn. I have known Godric since I was a fledgling - another interesting story for another time - yet his interaction with humans has been limited. And here you sit within our compound." His eyes raked her body, inhaling every scent. "Who are you?"

She leaned forwards a fraction, her dislike of the vampire yet to diminish. "I am his."

The words themselves were not a shock to Roman, but the way his head snapped to Godric's, the Ancient had given a reaction the Guardian hadn't expected. When Winn glanced at him his features had become impartial again.

"Indeed." Roman muttered. "Never expected it, but I supposed statistically it was bound to happen in this Ancients favour."

Winn said nothing.

Clasping his hands together Roman balanced his forearms on his legs. "Really, I am sorry about yesterday. We did agree to help you, on behalf of Godric. We theorised a shock would stop the sway this vampire has on your mind."

Godric's voice was silky. "Was yesterday night not enough of a shock?"

"Only a truly deep shock could break that glamour. Of course, that's merely the theory that I've heard." Roman replied.

"Merely a theory . . ." Godric sighed, "and what else have you found?"

"There was a boy some decades ago who's mind was also gripped by glamour, stronger than most. It was speculated his empathy made him more malleable to the glamouring; he was in essence forming strong bonds with those who glamoured him because of his emotions. One of the scientists responsible for making true blood speculated it was due to their accumulation of neurons - or something along the lines of that. Science is not one of my strong suits."

"No more research was done into it?" Winn asked.

"It is extremely rare, evident in you being the only case I have witnessed. And there's no profit for us." Roman said with an apologetic smile.

"I see." She said, arching a brow.

"I truly did believe that such a shock would have broken the glamour." said Roman.

 _Apparently not a big enough shock_ , she thought sourly.

"If it's any consolation," he continued, "it is our belief that your malleable mind also survives glamouring better. Think of it like a branch; those that are stiff break under stress, but those that are flexible simply bend."

"But this is all just theory." She said.

He nodded. "Indeed." He said, then added, "We must co-exist, and humans are our allies. It was not our intention to lead with a bad impression."

"I understand." She said, more unsure now.

She had, after all gone into a vampires nest and she was trying to understand them. Maybe it was her who needed to adapt.

He rose, and Godric and her followed suit. "If there's nothing else, then we have the car out front waiting."

Winn's words came out as sincerely as she could manage. "Thank you for trying to help. I appreciate the sentiment."

He broke into a warm smile. "If you manage to crack through and can tell us any other information, Godric will tell us. And if we find any threads that lead us to this vampire, he will meet the True Death."

She nodded, feeling a small bit of appreciation.

Both of them walked out together, and as she saw the car outside she nearly broke into a sprint. Her skin was crawling to get away from this place.

Then she stopped so suddenly Godric very nearly collided with her. Mouth agape she was staring up at the sky. Above the entirety of the sky the milky way seem splayed across the brightly coloured sky. A kaleidoscope of colours stared down at her.

"Is this what you always see?" She breathed. "It's beautiful."

He steered her forwards, placing his hand on her lower back. Snapping out of her she walked forwards on her own. "It is." He said.

"They are not as trustworthy as you believe." Godric said, shutting the door after him.

The car took off.

* * *

Near Shreveport the car pulled over to get gas and Winn slipped out, Godric following.

At this time of night the parking lot was nearly deserted. A scantily clad, and seemingly drunk, couple giggled their way back into their Chevy before peeling off down the road.

As the driver filled the car up with gas she breathed in the fresh night air. It was a particularly humid night and the hairs clung to the nape of her neck.

"What did that blonde vampire mean when she said I was your mate?" She knew of belonging to someone and of claiming, but this was the first she had heard of the new term. A figure exited the small store, carrying a carton of True Blood. With the mans pale features, he was evidently a vampire.

"It's what you are to me."

"But what does it mean?"

"It means I will protect you always."

She scrunched her nose at his vague definition. "But Bill protects Sookie. And I've never heard them referred to as mates."

"Always questioning everything." His lips curved upwards in amusement. He gestured towards the car. The car was almost re-fuelled and it was time to get back to the house.

"No." She slammed the car door shut. "I am sick of being left in the dark. Tell me."

His eyes narrowed at her defiance.

The hairs raised on her neck as he spoke to the vampire loitering around the parking lot. His voice was low and controlled, and it made him all the more intimidating. "Newborn, leave."

The vampire's eyes widened in fear for a moment and then he was gone, leaving only Winn and Godric in the gas station.

"Are you issuing commands now?" There was indignation in swimming in the depths of his blue eyes, and it made his words feel intense.

She felt like she was playing with fire. But she couldn't go back. "Why can't you just tell me things?"

His lip twitched in frustration, his voice betraying the tension behind his words despite his tone trying to stay neutral. "I am trying to protect you."

Her expression softened and the dread she felt earlier left. "My family was slaughtered. I carry the scars on my back, and for some reason He didn't kill me too. The only danger you can put me in now is leaving me in the dark."

Then she breathed a laugh.

"What do you find so amusing?" His frustration was evident now.

"I just . . . you're so old and full of wisdom, and yet you can't see that. That hiding everything isn't protection. And maybe that's just the vampire in you, that wants to guard all secrets because everything else changes and grows and decays but your knowledge is the one thing to be carried through for eternity."

As his eyes flickered across her face she wondered what he was thinking.

"What would you like to know?" He finally said.

"Everything."

"Will you tell me about your blood?"

"I haven't heard your questions yet."

It was a start.

"I can see the entire sky. I feel like I can sprint the entire night long, like I could lift a truck. I feel . . ."

"Like you have never been more powerful." He surmised.

"Yes, exactly like that. That's your blood doing this to me?"

"Running through your veins, my own vitality is boosting yours." He said, his eyes darkening.

"Other side effects . . . are . . . dreams one of them?"

He regarded her for a moment. "Yes."

She looked out the window and licked her lips before she turned back to look at him, voice a whisper. "And you can feel what I feel?"

The tilting of his head was the only acknowledgement she needed. Her face heated up as she tried to remain composed.

"Can you see the dreams?"

"No."

She chewed at her bottom lip, as she thought about her next question. "Do you want too?"

"Whatever those dreams are, are just that." He took a step closer, placing his arms on either side of the car, caging her in. "I am very much real."

There only thing in her vision now was him, and she tried to remain focused. She had demanded answers, and she was going to get them.

"When you claimed me, what does it mean?"

"You are mine. None can have you but I. For eternity, you are _mine_."

"Your what?"

He was leaning so close now his nose brushed hers, cool breathe fresh as the first days of winter fanning her face. His voice was a soft growl, "My everything."

Her breathe stopped. But she was sure the pull between them was going to do anything but.

"S-sorry to interrupt," the chauffeur said, wringing his hands anxiously as he stared at Godric like he was going to rip him in half, "but we're ready to go - if you wish." He added hastily.

Quickly the Ancient righted himself and Winn let out the breathe she been holding.

"Your assignment was to bring us back. Continue doing so." Godric replied, voice clipped.

Winn got into the car, and Godric followed, closely the door with perhaps too much force. They drove in silence the rest of the way, and the tension was smothering as Winn tried to force herself to look out the window. The driver had become so flustered with his interaction with Godric he forget to press play on the radio again.

She didn't even wait for the car to drive off before she had taken off into the house and stripped off all her clothes, tossing them into the corner and hopping into the shower. For the first time she had moment to herself, but the situation hadn't quite hit her yet. None of it had.

Maybe she had truly become defective. The entire time she expected a stronger reaction from herself, but she didn't feel terror. It was like a routine had happened without her knowing. There was contempt at the Authority vampires, and certainly she had no trust of them. Yet she was waiting for a break to happen.

Quickly she threw on cotton shorts and a loose grey shirt, gathering her wet hair over one shoulder.

As she stepped into the bedroom it had been her attention to go downstairs and continue reading through information in the hopes something struck - or, as the Authority had suggested, something shocking enough to break her out of the glamour.

But as she yawned again bed sounded like a better plan. It would just be a quick nap. The early rays of the morning would surely get her to wake up.

Godric knocked on the open door and she looked over her shoulder.

"How are you doing?" He asked.

She shrugged in response. It was the most truthful thing she could offer him as a reply.

He nodded, and began retreating.

The silence seemed infinite and suddenly Winn felt small in the room.

She shivered thinking about the Authority and violence. Before she could think the request was slipping out of her mouth, "Can you stay?"

"Certainly."

Too hot to lay under the covers she settled on top of them.

Once again he slipped onto the other side of the bed. While there was still a respectably distance between them he had closed the gap slightly. Turning onto her side they looked at each other for a moment. The moonlight cast a gentle blue glow in the room, despite the clouds covering the sky. Had it always been this easy to see in the darkness, or was it the blood? She had sworn in darkness there were only shapes. Now she saw him much clearer.

"What happened back in the Authority . . . how bad was it?" She asked.

"I have been through worse." His voice was gentle. It was gentle for _her_ sake.

Winns line of thought dropped off as she stared at him. Really stared.

He had lived millennia. What had his life been like? If what the Authority had given him wasn't the worse he had suffered, and it seemed it wasn't the worse by far - how bad did it really get? By whom? Did he have a normal human life? Or had the pain begun there? Did he even remember his human life? If he had gone through worse, how much of that pain had affected his life?

Her thoughts began to trail back to the intimate moment they had shared. Those lips - those fangs - how much blood had they spilled? The hands that had touched her and pulled her close, how much blood were on them? Had she just given herself over to a mass murdering serial killer? And willingly so? How much death and despair had he caused? The answer was too much. He had amassed a reputation as _Death._

Here she was, sharing a bed with him.

"Do you regret it? All the life you've taken?" She asked.

"Most of it."

She frowned.

"Have you not taken life too?" He asked.

"It was a necessity." She whispered, guilt churning in her stomach.

"You assume mine were not?"

"I regret it. Even if it was necessary."

They had moved closer as their hushed conversation continued.

"I do not find any point in feeling for those who caused more harm than good."

"I supposed no one should feel for you if you died then."

He smiled, "Stake me, I will not move."

She huffed in indignation.

He gripped her chin. "You are a thorn in my side, Winifred Vik, and I wish never to take you out." Soft lips pressed against hers.

Without threat surrounding them at all times, the kiss was gentle. Languid and light.

She took the time to explore him, like he took the time to explore her. All if him was hardened with muscle. His short hair was fuzzy beneath her soft palm. Godric's hand went to her waist, slipping beneath the garment as he ran his tongue over her bottom lip and she inhaled sharply as she began feeling heady already.

It would be a sweet lie if she tried to blame the feeling on his blood alone. His touches were electric shocks she desperately craved more of, and the blood was only heightening the pleasure, even from his gentle explorations.

Just yesterday night he had brought the Authority to submission and did so without using his full power. She assume it wasn't, at least. Not when he had still be in control of his fangs.

Tonight here she was, with an Ancient showing gentleness, both of them cocooned in the darkness and silence. Winn wondered if it was another dream.

Levity bubbled up within her and she fought back a smile.

"What is it that you find ever so amusing?"

"Never imagined I would be here, is all."

"There is only one thing you should be thinking of, _Sinni._ "

"There are plenty of other things I need to be thinking about: who's getting the groceries, whether it's going to rai-" she yelped in surprise as he pulled her beneath him. Her palms splayed on his pectorals as she looked up at him. He had moved at vampiric speed to be above her and it took her another moment to comprehend. But he didn't give time for her mind to catch up.

"If you believe you'll be able to think of anything else but me in a moment then you have sorely miscalculated this situation." He breathed and her heart sped up. His lips brushed against hers.

Like a magnetic pull they were drawn closer to each other. She rose up to crush their lips together, the heat burning through her letting her do nothing else but follow instincts.

Without hesitation he ripped off the flimsy shirt and as she moved to cover the scar he took her wrists and pinned them above her head. He moved to look down at her, drinking in her partially exposed form and settled his hips on top of hers. She pressed her lips together to stop the whimper of pleasure from passing through her as he placed pressure between the apex of her thighs.

"Do not do that." He growled, rolling his hips onto hers, creating friction. Her back arched and she let out a moan. Already coils were tightening in her lower belly.

His eyes became hooded as if it were the most intoxicating sound he had ever heard. He leaned down against, and she rose up as far as she could to meet up greedily. But he was teasing her now, lips brushing hers and as he pushed his hips against hers she let out a small whimper, feeling his own arousal pressed into her.

Then he froze and she pulled back. A strange expression had formed on his face and his eyes had become unseeing, like he had been pulled elsewhere.

Her own expression morphed into concern. "Godric?"

As suddenly as he had frozen he was back in the room with her. His head whipped to the side.

A moment later she caught on.

The smell of smoke had invaded the room, and it was coming from the opposite side by the bookshelf.

Godric was up a moment later and stalking forwards. Scrambling off the bed she followed him.

Squinting in the darkness it took her eyes a moment to understand what she was seeing. There was a pile of ashes in the misshaped form of a book, the last wisp of smoke rising upwards. But there had been no flames. One moment it had been there, the next it had crumbled into dark ash. Beneath the smell of smoke was a faint acrid smell, so subtle if she hadn't had Godric's blood running through her she would have missed it. What had now dissolved had been the book he had taken with him from the supernatural library: the book with his blood on it.

He moved in front of her protectively as the both of them continued looking at the former book. It hadn't been a dream then. She wished it was.

"What the hell was that?" She asked.

"Not anything good." He answered.

* * *

 **A/N:**

The review I got from the last chapter were motivating and awesome, so thanks to all reviewers! Now, I know I'm still behind on replying to all of your wonderful reviews, but if you're still following, then reviews feed this writers heart.


	18. Sparks

It was the first night she spent in the cubby. She didn't know what she had expected down here, but she had never wanted to give it much thought at all to where they slept in the house.

"There's been vast improvements since the Enlightenment." Godric had said.

The entire room was sterile: impersonal and metallic. Snowy white sheets covered the queen-sized bed, shoved into the corner of the small room. She supposed for the two vampires this was simply a place to sleep when the sun came out and no more. But tonight it was only Godric here, and now her, too.

After the book had disintegrated into ash, he had made a decision with finality weighing down his tone. She would be at his side when the sun came out. There was no protest from her; the event made her skin crawl. The unnaturalness of the entire thing had hung nearly tangibly in the air.

The metal rungs had taken her deeper and deeper below ground. At the last moment, Godric had made the decision for Eric to remain at Fangtasia, fearing his arrival would be slower than the sun rising. When the sun set again, Eric would come immediately to the house to discuss the ash.

She had watched from below as Godric pulled the heavy door shut, groaning as it went. The door was about a foot thick and must have weighed several tons. She was fairly sure this bunker could survive a nuclear apocalypse without so much as a dent. When the door was securely shut he had leapt down, landing gracefully and Winn had felt a touch of envy over his agility.

Turning her head she watched him sleep. Right now the sun was high in the sky. He lay straight as a board, arms limp at his sides. Without the rise and fall of his chest, he could well pass off as dead. She would need to remember to ask him why he bothered going through the motions of breathing when he was awake. He otherwise didn't make much of an effort to pass as anything but a vampire.

"Will you be asking any questions, or simply staring at me?" He murmured, lips barely moving.

Instantly her face flared up at being caught. "I-I thought you were sleeping." She said, and then realised that didn't sound any better out loud. "Sorry."

"If I were younger I would be. At my age, situational awareness is not limited by the day."

"So you really are completely dead to the world. Is that why you're protected by a multi-million dollar safe during the day?"

He looked at her. "Extensive caution was exercised long before your time. It was a dangerous world for vampires. If someone were to be found where we had buried ourselves, and came to dig us up, one would not realise until ones body began to burn. By then, it is much too late."

"Did . . . did the humans who dug one of you up suffer retribution?"

"Rarely. It has not been in our best interests to stick our neck out for others not part of our bloodline. And for too long, survival was the only thing of importance in the immortal arena."

"With the creation of the Authority laws have become much more nuanced. Many of the younger vampyr do not recognise the ease in which they are reborn into the world. A global hunting ground no longer exists." For a moment his eyes became distance.

A trickle of red ran out of his ear.

Was it blood?

Without thinking she reached out and pressed her finger to the trail. On her finger tip was a bright red splotch, then her eyes widened and looked at him. "Are you bleeding?"

"It happens when we are awake during the day."

That sounded awful. "Does it hurt you?"

"It is a discomfort." He replied. She was fairly surely in Godric terms that meant it was painful.

Unconsciously she wiped the blood off on her shorts. His eyes followed the movement like prey.

And she stilled. "S-sorry I didn't think. Is that - is it a bad thing?" She asked tentatively.

She saw a small sliver of fangs between his narrowly parted lips.

"Forgive me. It has been long since I fed." His hand went to her arm lazily splayed next to the pillow. "My impulses are less controlled than usual."

She was helpless but to follow his movement. He guided her arm towards him.

Her voice had dropped to a whisper. "How long has it been?"

"Many months."

Her arm was so close to him now, she could feel his breath. She could see his fangs. Was he going to bite her? Was she going to let him bite her? She couldn't look away and she felt frozen, unable to control her own actions.

The tip of his nose ran lightly across the blue veins running like streams beneath her spotted skin. Lips brushed against her skin. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then nuzzled his face against her palm.

Then he let go of her. A long second went by, and then she retracted her arm.

"Not tonight." There was pain in his voice, though he masked it well.

"But . . . why?" She asked.

"You are fearful. I can _feel_ it." He opened his eyes again, and in their depths swam sincerity. "I do not want you to fear me."

"I'm sorry." She couldn't hide the pang of guilt. There was a part of her unfolding as the days went by, that grew more confident around him. A small part of her that was growing stronger. An intuition that said he wouldn't kill her, that she would be okay in his presence, always. She knew she had been reckless before, when she had allowed him to taste her blood. The thought was uncomfortable, and a small dark voice in the back of her head whispered to her in disgust, but she locked that voice away.

His fangs retracted. That one drop of blood could have - should have - sparked a blood frenzy that she would have no hope to subdue. And that would have been the end of her. But he had refrained.

His lips drew up in a melancholic smile. "Bravery should not be buried beneath guilt."

She didn't know what to say then. But that same feeling of longing returned as it had before, and before she could stop herself she was reaching out to him, and a moment later he had drawn her close to him.

It was her turn to not know what to do as she froze. She couldn't remember the last time she had had any type of intimacy. She couldn't remember the last time she had been embraced like this.

She didn't have time for this, shouldn't have time for any sort of comfort. The Vampire was still out there. There was no reprieve for her.

But her body ignored her mind, and curled up against him, hand gripping his shirt for a moment. Pulling her tight against him, his lips brushed against the crown of her head before relaxing his grip. Her head rested against his chest, listening to the silence of his un-beating heart.

"Rest _Sinni,_ there is nothing you can do at this moment." He murmured.

And after a while of reluctance to shut her eyes, they drew shut of their own account.

There were no nightmares this time.

* * *

Winn leaned against the wall, arms crossed as Eric stepped over the threshold of the house. Outside the cicadas chirped loudly and the moon was still rising.

Godric looked at Eric with a neutral expression. "You are late." It was a statement. Or, it would easily sound like that to an outsider. At this point, she knew he was prompting Eric to explain.

"The Stackhouse girl." He replied.

Godric didn't break eye contact with his Son.

"This isn't her scent. Please, Maker, you know I would not place fucking a human above your request." Eric said, running a hand through his hair. "But she did interrupt me; a shame she didn't offer to make up for it."

"Eric." Godric pressed, not caring for Eric's most recent conquest.

"She asked me to help find William Compton. Apparently he has gone missing."

"Is he dead?" Winn asked. Maybe Eric had made Bill 'disappear'.

Eric glanced at her, before looking back at his Maker. "No deaths have been reported in my Area, and so I could not care le-" His head whipped to look at Winn. Then at Godric, and back to Winn.

His face became blank as he tried to comprehend the new smell, and then disbelief coloured his expression, "Your blood . . . "

Winn stared right back at him like a deer caught in headlights. She had never seen a reaction like this from Eric, and consequently, didn't know how to process his thoughts or intentions. His face had exploded into a mixture of shock, disbelief, awe, fear, and a look she wanted to label as reverence. But, this was Eric. Maybe she was growing delusional with months worth of accumulating lack of sleep.

"Maker?" He looked at Godric; it was a plea and a question in one.

Godric looked at Winn, waiting for her answer.

"Yes?" She replied, though to what she didn't know yet. Then Godric gave an affirmation with his eyes, and Eric surged forwards, pulling Winn to him.

His hands were all over her, and before she could protest had slipped beneath her shirt, large hands on her lower back and gliding upwards, past her bra clasp and onto her shoulder. She stood no chance of pulling the shirt down. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, and her back arched. His hold was so tight it bordered on painful and she stopped breathing. His own scent was mixing with her own and Godrics. He was touching as many places as he could reach without his Maker stepping in with a warning - he was making sure of it.

His face nuzzled her neck, and she felt him inhale deeply. Her fists rested against his chest, partly to balance herself and partly in an attempt to distant herself from him and his uncomfortably tight grasp. She had been raised onto her tiptoes.

Just when she couldn't stand any more he released her.

But then grabbed a hold of her wrist and whirled around. He shook her wrist lightly at Godric, exposing her beating pulse. "You fed her your blood. She's still _human."_

 _"_ An accurate assessment. I see a thousand years worth of lessons has rubbed off on your." Godric replied lightly.

For a moment Eric seemed to want to say more, before releasing her wrist with a sound of disbelief.

She still wasn't sure what had just happened, but Eric wasn't scolding her or gripping her so it was a good start to the evening so far.

Eric looked at her again, still in disbelief that she was apparently still very much human. Then he turned to his Maker. She was sure he'd revisit the topic of her mortality with his Maker later. Though why he was so surprised, she didn't know. Had Eric expected her to be drained?

"What happened?" Eric asked.

"The witches book was placed upstairs. It was nothing more than blood magic spells-"

"Nothing more?" Eric snapped.

"Patience, Child. The books only importance came from the words written down in it, it was not cursed. However, as it began burning . . . " his eyes flickered to a point in the wall as he receded into his memory, "I cannot quite describe it, it was a most peculiar feeling, so soft I barely felt it there at all."

"You shared your blood with a human. All you're feeling is the way they drown in their own humanity."

Godrics tone grew chilly. "Do not presume to understand or explain my own expierence to me, Child."

Eric's head quickly dipped forwards in a submissive gesture. Part of her felt some satisfaction that Eric got to be on the receiving end of commands, but more importantly was the Ancient in front of her who had the power to put Eric of all people in his place.

"And you don't believe it has anything to do with that hexed book you took home?" Eric asked.

It clicked for her now. He hadn't frozen earlier because he had smelled fire, he had frozen because something, something internal and what sounded foreign, had caused him to still in confusion.

"Something felt off in your head, or body?" Winn asked.

Eric understood now too, and his fangs shot out. "Which witch cursed you?"

"Cursed?" Winn asked, voice rising in alarm.

"Eric." He chided. "There is no curse. If this was a witches curse I can assure you I would either be in far more agony or long dead before you could fly home. I have no better explanation to give at the moment other than it felt foreign and yet as if my own blood were a part of it."

"Well lets go meet these witches - have a friendly conversation." Eric looked like he was going to have anything but a friendly conversation. Unless friendly involved fangs, blood, and enough weapons to make a horde of Vikings salivate.

"Then I propose we leave now, it will not take us long to reach their premise." Godric said.

"You know you're not coming, right?" Eric said as Winn pushed off the wall.

"Yes I am."

"She needs to remain close to us until we figure this out." Godric said. "However, you will stay in the car. Whatever this is, is something we do not understand yet - I fear our current lack of knowledge is placing us in most danger. Is that understood?"

Looking at him she saw there was no point in arguing.

* * *

Eric had put on a CD that Winn could only describe as not one of Swedens finest eras of music. But she knew it would be more of a hassle trying to get him to change to something more pleasing to the ear than to attempt to block it out. The clouds had begun rolling across the sky. With air this humid it was bound to bring rain and thunder in one of the coming days.

The car rolled into the parking lot, where the two cars she had seen before were parked.

"What . . ." she began, but died off.

Before the car had stopped she was already out and staring at the grounds in front of her.

Ash still rained down like macabre snowflakes. The ground had transformed into a dark grey landscape. What was left of the building were crumbled bricks on the ground. The lingering smell of smoke arose from the ground. With the moon mostly covered by the clouds it had turned the grounds desolate and fire had eaten its way through everything with fervour.

The old woman in the wheelchair. Gary.

She picked up her pace, and went from gravel to walking on a thick layer of ash. If she had been inhuman she would have felt the last of the dying heat from a fire gone out hours ago.

Waving away the last of the falling ash away from her face she headed over to where the library building used to be. There had to be someone here. Or maybe they had gotten out alive. Maybe they were at a hospital. Her hand rose to her mouth and nose, careful not to inhale any of the particles. For the most part they were settling on the ground now.

Her foot hit a brick and she stumbled, but quickly righted herself.

"You dare defy my orders?" Godrics voice was soft as velvet, jaw tilted upwards. She looked sharply up in surprise to see he had appeared in front of her. He spoke like a king speaking to a soldier who had defied him and was one second away from facing severe reprimand.

"I wasn't aware it was an order." She replied, a pause between each word as she looked at him with increasing hesitation.

"You are at the mercy of your emotions, with the control of a child." His words - his body - everything about his demeanour was icy.

She couldn't stop the shame from bubbling up inside of her as he spoke. Eric appeared next to his Maker, though some ways off a moment later.

"Because I don't listen to your every command?"

"Tell me you have the awareness to see just how-"

"Dangerous this is? The whole place is burnt to the ground, don't speak to me like I'm not aware of danger." She replied. It wasn't as if she hadn't come face to face with danger. And lost. A fire that had burnt out was lower on her list of caring.

A look of fleeting fear crossed Erics face, like he was prepared for Godric to body-slam Winn onto the ground for daring to interrupt him. The force would shatter her spine and paralyse her. Winn focused back on the ancient vampire who was nearly prowling towards her, feet nearly gliding across the ash.

"Do you not understand just how fragile you are?" His hand wrapped gently around her throat, sliding his hand up to just beneath her jaw. It wasn't painfully tight, but enough to keep her in place. There was nowhere to look but directly into his eyes, and in them she saw why he was feared by so many. It wasn't just the fury she saw in the depths of his iris', but a look - an emotion - she could only describe as finality. A look that said begging was useless, when he already knew what he was going to do. His thumb brushed against the underside of her jaw and he leaned forwards a fraction, voice dipping low. "Your own vulnerabilities are laced around your mortality."

She had automatically risen a half inch on her feet as his hand had slid around her slender throat only a few moments ago. But as she looked into his eyes that glinted with ferocity, she pressed her lips in a tight line. Instead of arguing with him, or asking forgiveness, or asking to be let go, she lowered herself onto her heels.

The new angle forcibly cut of her ability to breathe. She stared at him. He always threw decisions at her, now she was forcing him into a decision. After all, he was the one who had told her to understand the players in the game; if he had wanted to use violence he would have.

Her only sign she got was a blink in surprise. For that, she felt a small piece of relief instead of that fathomless unblinking glare he had been giving her earlier. His fury seemed to be in a fight with frustration over her response. Eric's upper body twitched as he seemed to fight on whether to separate them or not.

She stared right backed, waiting to see if he really would cut off her air supply. His skin was cool, the same temperature she imagined he'd be as a human who had just come back inside to warm up by the fire after trudging through snow and frigid air. Not unpleasant, but markedly different.

Autumn nights wind rippled through her hair. The ash danced along the ground.

The cells in her body went from a small protest to screaming for air. She held her ground.

And there - maybe - was a small hint of pride in his eyes that appeared and disappeared quicker than the blink of her eye. Or maybe lack of oxygen was getting her to imagine things.

He released his grip on her, and she inhaled sharply. Black dots that had just begun swarming in the far corner of her vision began receding.

Her voice was softer than she intended, "There may have been people still here, still in need of help. I wasn't just going to stand back and stay in the car."

"You are no longer dealing with just humans anymore, Winn. The supernatural world is an unforgiving one. If you continue to be so careless with your own life I must become stricter with you."

"Better to be tormented in a basement by your will than face the action of my consequences?" She snapped before taking a deep breath. "Godric . . . I'm not just going to hide behind you every time you perceive there's something dangerous. What if there's something dangerous to you?"

His head tilted to the side. "You have been given the protection of someone who has the capacity and capabilities to protect you, and yet you try to protect me."

"Well, yes. I guess. We live in the twenty-first century, its not like a guy has to always be the protector."

"Immortality makes assigned roles by mortals irrelevant." He seemed to struggle to articulate what he truly meant. Godric looked at her with disappointment. "There should be no rejection at all."

Eric looked at her with the slightest raise of his brows. "In our world its an honour. Protection offered to you by a vampire is one thing, protection by someone of his age - it's not taken lightly."

As she moved to retort something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Something was poking up in a bed of ash and she knelt down to inspect more closely.

"Winn do not- " Godric began.

It was a white rib, curving upwards and breaking through the grey. Parts of it were charred. Oh Jesus, it was an actual human rib. The flames had burnt through flesh and muscle, eating its way down to the bone.

She stood up abruptly and took a hasty step back, bumping into Godric. Then the nausea exploded within. Phantom screams echoed around her as she saw a nondescript person being burned alive.

Stumbling several feet away from him she put her hands on her knees and bent over. She began retching.

"Quieter please, you're putting off my appetite." Eric said. If Winn was holding something she would have gladly risked throwing it at him.

Godric was impassive as he looked at what remained of the body, and then to Winn who had forcefully righted herself after dry heaving. "He was a witch." He said the words like a puzzle he was attempting to figure out as he looked at what remained of the body and to his humans severe reaction.

"You know it's Gary?" She choked out. His silence was answer enough. Right, he had seen a million bodies before, identifying part of a corpse wasn't out of the question. Or maybe he could smell it. Nausea roiled in her unsettled stomach again.

"He did nothing to us." She cried.

"That we know of. The results of the 'tea' may still manifest itself, and I do not believe his corpse will be of much help in gaining answers."

Corpse. Just a short while ago he was alive and wandering around, and maybe scheming - it was arguable whether his intentions had been truthful with her or not. But she had still been allowed in the library. Did everyone she came into contact with die?

He placed a hand on her chest, right about her rapidly beating heart, and stared at her in utter fascination. "What you feel right now . . . you feel for the fragment of a deceased man?"

"Of course I do." She answered his question.

"How can you feel so much for a man you did not know?" He asked.

Eric interrupted their talk, perhaps getting bored of all the human emotion going around. "Have you ever seen anything like this?"

Godric gave her one last searing look with an emotion she couldn't identify before his hand returned to his side. The feel of his hand on her skin seemed to burn and spread. She was responding to him in ways she didn't understand. She pressed her lips together in response and looked at the ground.

The Ancient turned to his Son. "I witnessed something like this only once, in Dahomey, but I made it a habit to steer clear of witches," his eyes swept over the monochrome landscape, "for obvious reasons."

Eric nudged the charred rib with the tip of his boot.

"Have some respect." Winn snapped.

"You should've killed all of them when you saw them." Eric asked. "Though I suppose the fire did a good job."

Winns hand flew out and slapped Eric before she could register her own actions.

Instead of removing her head from her shoulders and making a mantlepiece out of it, his lips curled up in a smile. "My, my. Will you look at that."

She nursed her traitorous hand like she was scared it'd act on its own accord again. "Those people were alive a few hours ago."

He mockingly nursed his cheek like her hit had done any damage to him. "And now they are no longer."

Eric didn't seem the least bit angry about her slapping. If anything he was amused. And that concerned her more than if he had been angry.

"Enough." Godric said sharply.

Out of his pants pocket he pulled out the tarot Card of Death she had been given earlier. She knew for a fact she had placed it between a stack of papers, and those papers were buried deep in her bag.

"Where'd you get that from?" Winn asked, waiting to see how he would answer.

He didn't look guilty, like he had been caught in the act. His answer was simple and expression non-plussed. "From your bag."

"Can't you ask permission before you just begin going through my things?" She crossed her arms.

Godric halted his action of giving the card to Eric to throw her a quizzical look. "What's yours is mine."

Any reply she had was lost, as she looked at him, stunned. He handed the card to Eric, who flipped it over and raised a brow at the omen.

Godric genuinely couldn't comprehend her apprehension. Sharing his blood had meant more than a claim on her, it was a claim on _what_ was hers as well. A thrill of regret travelled up her spine. She may have just crossed a threshold she couldn't come back from, and her mind spun from the current implications of it.

In this, she knew she couldn't argue. Even if she wanted to at the moment, she didn't know what to say, how to make him understand. Right now she resigned herself to wrapping her head around the fact that everything that was an extension of hers was now Godrics, and by proxy, she supposed, Eric's.

Eric flipped the card in his hand. "You always know when a witch is sending you a message because it's never straightforward and there's always some sort of pretentious bullshit involved."

Well now she knew why they hated witches so much. They were in direct competition with them over who could be most vague and arrogant. At least, Eric fulfilled both criteria.

The blonde looked up at her. "What did the witch who handed you this card say?"

"Just that I was a daywalker." Whatever that meant.

"Calling you a synonym of mortal would be much too forward for a witch. Bitch."

"I have tried going through various scrolls and books - nothing matches the title she was given." Godric said quietly.

Eric exhaled loudly. "Well, at least for now we have no reason to believe this witchy voodoo place has any relation to Winn."

"I would like to eliminate all possibility of her involvement. Eric," He said, but his name sounded different - his old Nordic pronunciation, "sample some ash here so we have a comparison to the book. I am going to survey the premise, perhaps there is something to be found." He gave Eric a looked, to which his Son nodded in response. Then Godric disappeared.

Eric turned to look at her. "Looks like I'm in charge of the human, so do as I say and make it easier for both of us."

"Sure." She sighed.

After a minute of wandering, Eric knelt down, taking a handkerchief out of his pocket. Winn snorted, and he looked back at her, eyebrow raised a fraction. She only realised now that it was a small move that both Godric and Eric used, and she wonder who picked it up from who.

"Just didn't take you for the gentleman type." She elaborated.

"I can be many things." He dipped the handkerchief in the ash, colouring it grey. Then he rose, pocketing it.

They stayed for a long drawn out minute in silence, all the while Winn chewed the inside of her cheek. Finally she crossed her arms and looked at him. He was surveying the landscape, eyes darting back and forth and seemed to be looking everywhere but her.

"Besides me being human, why do you dislike me so much? I stay out of your way."

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye then. "You are emotional. You'll just end up getting yourself killed."

"- Get us killed." He added quickly.

"Yet you spend your time around Sookie, and she's just as human." Winn said. While it was true Sookie had some unnatural ability to read minds, she was just as easily injured as Winn could be.

"She's not you." Eric said.

Winn took it as an insult. And it stung. "No, evidently not." She snapped. "Because Sookie gets leeway to do anything she wants, while you have no fucking problem putting limits and rules on me you deem fit, and keeping me in the dark."

He became expressionless in an instant, his voice flat. "Don't cry on me now. Maker won't be happy."

Winn crossed her arms tightly across her chest. "You seemed pretty touchy-feely before, but I assume thats just because your Makers blood is in me."

Something flashed in his eyes. For a split second he seemed to contemplate a different answer, before settling with a small shrug. "You guessed correctly."

She eyed him suspiciously. A split secondly later he jumped onto her wavelength.

"The least you could do is give him your blood." Eric said. "Look at him, he's malnourished."

She pressed her lips together and shook her head. "We've been over this before."

"Winn." His growled softly. If his voice was meant to intimidate then he was excelling.

"He rejected it." She quickly offered.

The threatening look was wiped clean off is face. "He . . . rejected it?" Then he shook his head. "Maker would never reject blood like that, especially with how starved he is now. What did you do to him?"

She licked her lips nervously, but she would have to give him the truth. Her answer came out slowly, in some form of desperate hope that taking longer to register her words would calm down the ancient vampire in front of her. "He said he sensed fear in me."

He looked at her with head cocked to the side, and then took a step forwards. She fought hard with herself not to take a step back. Eric would have responded with flashing behind her and locking her in place and giving her a few bruises to go with it. She'd rather have him where she could see him. "Pray tell, why would he sense fear in you?"

If she could print out an image of her parents permanently seared in her head she would, and then beat him over his thick Viking skull with it repeatedly. She bitterly swallowed back a snarky answer. "He won't be able to stop." She replied harshly, steeling herself against the Viking.

He surged forwards, gripping her face. His eyes flickered between hers. His voice was a harsh whisper, "Listen to me Winn, he will _never_ hurt you."

His embrace and his words were uncharacteristically protective, and seeming to realise it himself he let go of her like his hands had been burned with silver and he took a step back.

"You drank his blood. You're His now. You are the Claimant of Godric of the Gaul Clan." He said.

A weight pressed down on her chest at the seriousness of that title. A title she was sure other vampires would begin viewing her with. She had been distraught and impulsive. Had he capitalised on that? _No,_ she shook her head. Quickly she let her thoughts go back to herself. She was still going to kill The Vampire. That was dangerous of course, would she be allowed to go? If she went against his orders, how far would she get?

She nodded slowly. "I don't want him shadowing me everywhere I go. I've been taking care of myself for years."

His ensuing biting laugh was humourless. "Protection isn't about what you want, it's about what you need."

"And you know what I need?" She shot back.

He grew solemn. "Better than you think."

She did not like his look one bit. It was the face of a man who believed the ends would justify the needs, and she regretted asking. She didn't want to know what the end he was thinking of was.

"How soothing you know everything."

"One of us needs to."

"Well I'm glad you've taken up that mantle."

"Not as glad as Godric will be when he's informed you're giving up your ambition of being a teeny Terminator, and will instead gratefully accept his protection."

"You know what-"

"Save it for the car, darling." Eric said.

She flipped the bird at him, but his back was already to her. "Jerk." She grumbled beneath her breath.

Godric appeared again, and she felt relieved. The tension between her and Eric was smothering her. "There is nothing around for miles. I am unsure if there is foul play involved here . . . I smell nothing out of the ordinary."

"The library just caught on fire by a misplaced candle?" Winn asked. She didn't believe it. The fire had consumed everything, and apparently no one around had seen the dark plume of smoke lasting what had to have been hours in the sky.

"All I smell is the traces of gasoline, and the remnants of books and wood."

She stared at him. Gasoline tended to be a good indicator of foul play.

Eric sighed. "He means no supernatural involvement."

"Still," Godric said, "It is too much of a coincidence between the book and the library the very same night. Do you know of anyone in your Area who can inspect the ash and verify what happened?"

"Dr. Ludwig. Not the most welcoming of creatures, but does work for me occasionally and confidentially. She has no trust to spare and enjoys being left alone most of all. You would approve of her."

"Sounds like the beginning of a thrilling friendship. Tell me, will we meet her at Fangtasia?" Godric asked.

"I've already paid the goblin an excessive amount of money some weeks earlier to come down to Fangtasia, and I don't have enough cash lying around at the club at this moment; let's say there's a difference in interest of where to invest my money between my Queen and I. And your money is tied up in Dallas still. The fastest and cheapest solution is for us to pay the goblin a visit on her premise."

"Where is she?" Godric asked.

"Ruston."

Godric nodded. "Then we go."

Eric was already getting into the car.

The Ancient turned to look at Winn. "You have been uncharacteristically quiet."

"I do not talk that much." She protested.

"Tell me what you are thinking, please."

"I don't know what's wrong with me tonight. I didn't mean to slap Eric." She said. _I didn't even realise I responded to your physical persuasion with one of my own. I alway use words._ "Or - I don't know. I just . . . seem to be-" She trailed off, unsure how to properly explain herself.

"As if you are acting on impulse?" Godric asked curiously.

"Yes." She said.

"It is reminiscent of that of a vampire. It must be my blood in you."

Her eyes widened. "I'm not turning into a vampire, am I?" She asked quietly.

He shook his head. "I would never turn you against your will. And you have not been through the proper process of turning anyhow."

She nodded her head rapidly. "I . . . actually know you wouldn't." She rubbed her forehead. "I just don't know . . . everything's gone so . . . fast. And I don't know where I stand with everything. We met in a basement of a cult and now we're - well, I don't know, _here._ "

She didn't know where here was, exactly. It felt like she had wandered on a train and missed her stop. now all she could do was wait for whatever destination she landed in. The thought didn't sit well with her. Not at all.

Godric took a step forwards. "No. I never did introduce myself in the basement, did I?"

"I asked you if you were Godric and you never said no, or yes, so vague as always."

"How unbecoming of me." He added, pretending she had never spoken at all.

His hand reached out and picked up hers, and he took a small step closer. At her uncertainty the ghost of a smile crept onto his lips. "I am Godric of the Gauls."

His lips brushed across her knuckles, so faint it felt like air. His blue eyes looked down into hers and stared at with an intensity that had her pinned to the spot. She was helpless but to gaze right back.

Oh, oh, right. He was waiting for her to introduce herself. Even though she already had, some weeks ago. "Well, just Winn."

Had he always been so charming? So mesmerising? Of course he was, but his gentlemanly attitude was foreign and it was making her quite clearly flustered.

"Just Winn?" His eyes danced with mirth at her reaction, "what a peculiar name."

His leaned forward, his arm reaching out, and then sliding past her to open the car door. There it was again, mischief in his eyes. It made him look youthful.

Godric slid into the seat next to her. Eric was quickly out of the parking lot, driving them towards the town Ludwig was in.

She furrowed her brow and then shook her head. No, she couldn't have possibly have heard what he had just said. It had to be a mistake. "Did you just say goblin?"

"Dr. Ludwig is indeed a goblin. One of the few left on the Northern Peninsula." Godric replied.

Eric's eyes flashed up to the rearview mirror, blue eyes connecting with shocked green. He smirked. "Welcome to Wonderland, Winnie. Down here, everyone has a thirst for blood."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Skip if you have literally no care about what it took to write this chapter. For reviews: It's shameful that I still haven't gotten around to responding to any review for the previous chapters yet, because they're wonderful and encouraging and 100% motivating me to continue editing these chapters and get them out there as soon as I can. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far, truly. Stick with me and I'll get around to reviewing them. All of the anonymous reviewers will be responded to at the very bottom of this chapter sometime within the next week.

I had intended for this to be published sooner, but I became absolutely buried with work and had to make the hard but necessary decision that not dying from lack of sleep was (slightly) more important than getting another chapter out. It also took a while for a few reasons. The primary two being to effectively showcase the bond of Winn and Godric slash the continuing effects of his blood (while trying to portray him as more 'Ancient' in nature while hopefully keeping him from being portrayed as an abusive asshole), and Eric's character progression. Initially I had written part of this from his pov because I wasn't sure how else to do it, but ultimately felt like a lazy writer. So I took the time to, hopefully, portray his feelings towards Winn and his conflict. I hope that came across in this chapter, if not: rewrite (*cries in writer*).

This chapter was only supposed to be one chapter, but on going back for an edit, ending up fleshing it out and out came three additional chapters. And four thousand words longer than intended...for this chapter.


	19. Blinded to the Truth

I said I would have the entire story uploaded and finished before summer ended. _I told a lie._ \- G̶o̶d̶r̶i̶c̶ Five-Blues  
Hope this giant chapter makes up for that fact I clearly cannot be trusted.

* * *

 **WINN**

Like the area of Fangtasia, this part of Shreveport was also mostly industrial. And at two in the morning, was mostly deserted. The ash had covered their clothes. All trying to hastily wipe it away had accomplished was smearing it deeper into her clothes. Eric had told them they had to look human for this meeting with Dr. Ludwig. The goblin.

It was still a slow process for her to come to terms with the fact that goblins existed. What was next, fairies?

Her mind immediately shut down that thought. No. Goblins was already crazy enough. She was just going to keep her thoughts to vampires and goblins.

It should be unsurprising that Eric had clothes fitted for each of them in the back of his trunk in case that ever came in handy. Though, she did wonder why he had clothes for her specifically. It seemed like a line of thought that was uncharacteristic for him. Being in such an isolated area of the city, they had to change out in the open.

But Eric had just insisted that no one was around. Now here she was, hastily changing behind a dumpster in an alleyway, with Godric and Eric together and some ways off. Without a doubt they were already done having changed at a supernatural speed while Winn was still wrestling with her skinny jeans.

She felt up the garments and wrinkled her nose. What on earth had he picked out for her? With a frown she put it on, having nothing else to fall back on. Eric had made it clear they had to look human, and drive their car to this area like a human. Dr. Ludwig was extremely paranoid, and liked to fit in with her surroundings as much as possible. The first sign of anything suspicious in her own quarters and she would disappear.

She put on the loose beige pants. And a white blouse with wooden buttons and frilly shoulders. Winn had become a middle ages peasant. With Eric there was always an intention, but she wasn't quite sure what to make of this one. So why had Eric come with such an outfit that felt so out of place for the twenty-first-century? If Godric had thrown this at her she would understand. It was an odd choice. And maybe she'd never get an answer behind the angle Eric was playing.

Eric threw all of their ashy clothes in the back he slammed the trunk shut. "We all need to be on our best behavior, now. Rumour has it Dr. Ludwig has a certain little minion that we have to go through first in order to gain her trust. If we don't have that trust, we will never find Dr. Ludwig."

Winn had a feeling Eric wanted to befriend Dr. Ludwig for more long-term plans, and not just finding out what this ash was.

The industrial door groaned as Eric pushed it to the side, allowing them inside. He closed it with a bang. Winn squinted as her eyes adjusted to the dark. The only source of light was from some windows high above, but with the upcoming rainclouds, it was getting darker by the minute.

"Welcome." A male voice said from across the giant warehouse area. Everything was entirely unfurnished in here except for a small coffee table, and then two sets of chairs in the middle of the room.

The man was as tall as Eric, but broader built. His jet black hair was long, brushing his shoulders. From afar his eyes seemed as dark as his hair. Was this the goblins minion they were talking about?

"Turenne." Eric huffed in frustration. Great, so the minion was known in some capacity. The longer Winn spent in the supernatural world, the more of a bad omen it was she realised, to be on Erics radar. It didn't ever seem to be in anyones favour to be known by him.

There was a drink on the table in a red clay cup. It was clear and odourless. Yet she had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't water. And a moment her thoughts were confirmed.

"What a merry little group we have here." Turenne said. "But alas, I only need to speak with one of you. I'm sure you've heard of a Cathagian Parameter?"

Her brows knit together while both Godric and Eric gave a grudging, non-verbal acknowledgement.

Turenne caught her expression of confusion. "Oh darling. Not to worry. Its only . . .well, there's only enough in that cup for one person," he said, outlining the grooves she saw indented into the floor that went around the concrete in a perfect pentagram, "A gift from me, to you."

His face was too kind and enthusiastic and her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why?"

"Because we're so often blinded to the truth. I'm just here to help with the gift of sight."

Eric sighed heavily. "We need a moment to decide."

Turenne lifted his hand in a flourishing moment. "Very well. Once you have decided you can take a seat." He said, before moving into the pentagram and sitting on one of the two metal chairs.

If she had entered this place without Eric or Godric she would have been convinced this was an interrogation chamber. And not the kind where just words were used.

She crossed her arms as the two discussed heatedly amongst themselves. Right. Of course she wasn't involved. Godric had it more than clear to her that she wasn't strong enough to continue pursuing a life that involved supernatural elements and uncertainty.

It pained her more than she wanted to admit. How was she going to pursue the Vampire when the two ancients in front of her had told her she was weak? It stung.

But she could be strong enough. She _could._

She'd show them that she was capable. And so she walked over to the table, glancing and Eric and Godric who were in her periphery. Neither had noticed her yet.

So she threw the drink back, ready to choke on its acidic content. The only sign it wasn't water, was its acute bitterness. She stepped into the pentagram. For a split second she froze, waiting to combust into flame or something of the sort.

But she felt nothing, and then - "Oh."

She blinked rapidly but the lights had dimmed, and then gone out. She stumbled backwards slightly in shock. There was a small hiss behind her from one of the ancients.

"Relax darling."Turenne said. "Brave little human, aren't you? Come here, follow my voice." He coaxed.

But she refused to move. Everything had become pitch black. Liquid black spanned the entirety of her eyes, replacing her bright green iris's. Behind her Godric and Eric were murmuring to each other, too low and fast for her to understand anything.

"Winn do not do this." Godric's voice was strained. "Come here, follow my voice. We will sort this out."

Now she did move, but instead she turned around to face where Godrics voice was sounding from. She took a small step forwards. Intuitively, she knew she had to remain inside of the pentagram. "No." She replied with a strong voice. "And you can't touch me. Not with this boundary."

There was a long pause; a stunned silence. Her words seemed to sink for for him before turning into a gut punch as he realised her implication. She was afraid of him. He had placed his hand on her and tried to control her.

"You know the rules, Vampire," Turenne said sharply, "You can't reach out over this barrier."

Another long pause. Turenne spoke again with impatience, "Tick-tock."

"Winn . . . Please." Godric whispered. "Let us talk. This - all of this does not matter."

"I can do this." She said. And she hated herself for how small her voice sounded, like a child convincing their parent they were good enough.

"I know." He said quietly, voice pained. There was another pause and Winn thought he was done speaking. Just as she was about to move, he added, "He will try to manipulate you into giving away information. You no longer have the ability to lie. Whatever happens, it is not your fault."

She turned around and took small steps forwards, listening to Turenne's inane words to help her find her way to the chair, hands spread out in front of her. She was going to do more than try. She could keep up. She could keep up with the world. She had too.

Finally she found the chair and maneuvered around to sit down. She bit the corner of her lip, unsure what was next. Losing her sight was terrifying.

"What's your name, _human_?"

Great. Was it really that obvious? Out of an instinctual distrust she tried to use a fake name but a warning, phantom pain that felt like acid in her veins stopped her. Godric had said she couldn't lie. But surely . . .?

As she tried to give a fake name she inhaled sharply in pain. It gripped her like a vice.

Turenne gave a small laugh of amusement. "My, aren't you a paranoid one. What's so special about your one little name?"

"My name is Winifred Vik." She spit out.

"Very good. I'm not here to hurt you, Winifred Vik. I'm just here to ask you a few innocent little questions on behalf of Dr. Ludwig." He said. She got the feeling his questions weren't innocent at all.

"You came in here with Eric Northman and Godric the Gaul, did you not?"

That seemed like a simple enough question. Was this like a lie detector test where they measured your base response first?

"I did."

"And what is your relationship to Eric?"

"I work for him." She was getting paid for a job she had done, and she wouldn't be able to continue getting the money if she left him. That qualified as a job and working for him.

"And what sort of work does that entail?"

Coming to Dallas. Nearly getting killed on multiple locations. Being pushed into becoming a bloodbag for an ancient vampire. Nothing out of the ordinary. "All sorts of work."

"Mr. Northman works in a bar, called Fangtasia, does he not?" He asked.

"He does."

"And does 'all sorts of work' entail normal bar duties such as say, working behind the bar?"

"I've never worked behind the bar before." She had to admit.

He hummed at that revelation. "Well you don't sound like the traditional sort of help. I'm curious, how do you become employed by Mr. Northman, whe you don't even help the business he runs. As far as I know he's quite the savvy individual. Somehow, your story isn't adding up."

Oh damn. Wherever he was leading her was a destination she couldn't end up at. Somehow she had to change the course of his questioning, or evade his answers. "I alleviate his boredom. I don't back down easily."

Turenne chuckled. "You must be very . . . persuasive then."

His intonation made it very clear what sort of persuasion he was speaking of. She snorted. "If I was able to keep a thousand year old creature entertained by my sheer sexual prowess then I may as well demand payment for it."

His chair scraped across the floor as he pulled it closer to her, and she tensed. She hated not having her sight.

"Mr. Northman cares about you."

"Is that a question?" She snapped.

"Hmm . . . No." He was taking great glee out of this situation. He was toying with her like a cat toys with their prey. Though she didn't believe it was because she was anything special, rather every question seemed directed at the vampires behind her. For a fleeting moment she saw herself getting up and leaving, unable to handle this interrogation in which she had no hope of lying her way through.

"Mr. Northman will forget our paths ever crossed in a few years time. I am a mortal. I will whither and decay and become a part of this earth once again. Eric doesn't adhere to time the way I do." Her words were harsh, and she meant every one of them. There was nothing more to say on the subject. "Now are you going to keep asking stupid questions or is there a point you're trying to make?"

There was a pause. And then the chair scraped closer. His knee touched hers and she inhaled sharply. Turennes voice was dripping with glee. "You can't cross the boundary, Vampire."

Who was he talking to? Eric? Godric? Her lack of sight was disorientating, and her imagination to fill in the gaps was plunging her into a chasm of overthinking.

"You said Eric employs you for various work."

"Haven't we been over this?"

"How did you end up meeting the elusive Godric of the Gauls?" He asked.

She pressed her lips into a thin line and shrugged. "Eric was following a false lead in Dallas."

"And he took you, a simple human, along with him?"

"I suppose he did." She answered warily.

"So you could say that Eric took you to meet Godric, then?"

"That's debatable."

His voice was a low whisper, and she felt his breath fan her face. But she couldn't get away, having already leaned back into her seat the second she had heard the scrape of his chair. "It's a yes or no question."

"Yes." She answered through gritted teeth. Yes, because Godric had told her the very same when they had driven together.

"Now you know what I find interesting?" It was a rhetorical question. "Why you are still together with him, and why he is still here with you. In fact this little trio is fascinating to me. Ancient creatures as so isolated from everything. Besides working at Fangtasia, why are you still with them - what is Eric employing you to do for the Gaul?"

Her mouth stayed shut, which was in itself a truthful answer, wasn't it? Nothing in the rules say she couldn't answer with silence. Until the pain shot through her veins, feeling like the molecules in her bloodstream and muscles were falling in on each other. Damn. Damn Turenne. The question very clearly asked her what Eric was paying her to do for Godric. And she had accepted his money - was still accepting his money.

"He's paying me to be a donor for Godric." She hissed and then breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the pain ebbed out of her body like the ocean waves retreating.

"The Gaul has not done it yet, has he? You don't carry the stench of a marked mortal. Why is it then, that Godric is so keen on you? He is not the type to pursue fruitless endeavours."

Her leg began tapping against the floor. She couldn't lie and say her blood was special, that he was like a fly to honey. Because her blood wasn't special. In fact it was the most common type in the entire world. She didn't attract vampires like Sookie did. He couldn't say that he had some sort of interest in her, some compassion for her. Because she could barely approach that subject herself, and was spending her time forcing herself to believe that it was only a fleeting interest. "Because I tried to save his life."

"Oh! Oh. Ohhh. _Tried_ to save his life, you say?" He had hooked onto her words like a fish on bait. And whatever she had said she shouldn't have. Even if she was forced to answer his words. Whatever interest he had in Godric was not something she wanted to help him with.

"He's immortal and powerful. You seem to already know that. And you know I'm nothing but a weak mortal. It's impossible for me to save him."

"Hmm . . . Yes. What possible situation could you have been in to try and save him?"

"There was an explosion in Dallas. You can find the tragedy all over the news, that's no secret." She said.

"Yes, yes, it was quite violent, wasn't it?" He speculated. "So why is it, then, that you decided to try to save _him_?"

"He-" she gagged as her throat closed up. He may have been the closest person to her as a fact. But she hadn't tried to shield him for that sole factor, had she? Turenne was enjoying this. Whoever he was, he knew Godric. It was clear they were not on friendly terms. Although she had a sneaking suspicion that for Godric, Turenne did not matter to him at all.

"Oh, darling. Cat got your tongue? Well I can't blame you. He is rather handsome, isn't he? Is that it? Are you attracted to him?"

Anger shot through her veins. She hated knowing that in her obscured vision, Turenne probably wasn't catching her anger. Or maybe he was. And it made this entire interrogation all the more savoury. But it was an object question to an extent, wasn't it? He _was_ attractive.

"Yes."

"Have you ever acted on your attraction?" He put a hand on her knee and her muscled tightened as her discomfort soared. "You wouldn't be the first."

"I have." She ground out.

"And are you . . . Emotionally invested in the Gaul?" He whispered. She knew where he was going, and she knew this was just a mocking question before he asked her questions too detailed for her to evade from. He was about to get off on forcing her to detail what she had done to him. Something he had no business in asking.

"I'm emotionally invested in him; you're emotionally invested in him . . . Perhaps more so. Jealous I touched him when you couldn't Turenne? I bet you wish he was in here instead with you, bet you wish its his leg you're touching now." Her own chair scraped across the floor as she closed the remaining gap between them, her hand reaching down to move the chair leg. Her free hand reached out, and slid his hand further up her leg, closing the physical gap between them.

"What a sharp tongue." He mused, his chair creaking as he even leaned closer, thrilled at the game she was playing now. Her hand crept to the holster on her leg.

She took his small distracted to reach for the knife and whip it forth, hitting his inner thigh. His hiss of pain made her feel bad. She had dug it in too deep by accident. All she had wanted to do was use it as a warning. But she shouldn't feel guilt for this goblin-thing in front of her. She knew she shouldn't.

"My tongue isn't the only sharp thing I carry." She said, and was glad that her voice didn't waiver. Then he laughed in delight. Relief washed over her, glad he hadn't decided to defend himself against her own display of violence. Without sight she could do nothing more than this.

"Apparently not." He said, and leaned away from her, acquiescing. "I do see now their interest in you, little human. I'm sure in their long immortal lives your spark is enough to give them a welcome reprieve from their endless darkness. At least, for a while."

She stayed silent. Like she had back at the Authority. Him, Roman, anyone else, they always seemed to try to leverage intimidation of silence to force the other person to speak. She wasn't going to allow herself to fall for it.

Turenne sighed. "Alright. As I said before, I'm not here to harm you. But please, allow me to give you a more gentlemanly introduction."

Her eyes narrowed. "If I do, will this be the end of this? We can get up and leave and talk to Dr. Ludwig."

"Of course, my darling. I would never renege on my word. If you could move your beautiful Neck Knife, that would be much less distracting for me. My own blood seeping from this wound is distracting me. Although, so is that knife. What a beautiful handle. Haven't seen them in production for centuries. I do love a girl with taste." He rambled.

She bit her tongue for a moment. "Fine."

As he slipped his hand into hers she automatically tried to tug her hand back, but forcibly relaxed it right after. He brought her knuckled upwards, and felt his lips gently brush across her knuckles. "Gentle like the summer breeze, sweet as honeysuckle, and bright like the leaping flames from a pyre, the pleasure of having met you is all mine, Ms. Vik." His breath caressed her, too hot for her liking. "If you are ever back in Shreveport, allow me the honour of escorting you around."

"Sure." She mumbled uncomfortably.

"So by your own account, none of you pose a danger to Dr. Ludwig." Said Turenne, his voice going back to a business-like manner.

By her own account? "No."

Turenne's chair scraped across the floor as he stood up. "Very well. You may speak to her then." A moment later he was back and he lead her hand to a cup. "Drink this."

Upon Eric and Godrics silence she figured it was safe to drink and took a long sip. Almost immediately her vision began to come back. At first everything were just a bunch of blurred shapes, but at least there was light again. She knew she now hated the Cathagian Parameter and she hated Turenne. The entire supernatural world was all about power play in one form or another. And it was exhausting to play.

When she could finally see again, Turenne had slipped out of the room. Only Eric was there. Another door was wide open. "According to Turenne's aggressive little finger jab, we can find Dr. Ludwig about that way." Eric said.

She looked around. "Where's Godric?"

"If he comes as he is now, he'll have the goblin running for the door screaming." Eric replied, beginning to walk down the long windowless hallway. His steps had slowed to match her own.

"He wouldn't hurt her, would he?"

Eric shook his head. "He doesn't have too. When he gets like this . . . Most supernatural creatures within our vicinity will feel his power."

Her brow furrowed. "What happened?"

"You happened." His voice sounded distant. And she didn't know what to make of it. "Though, his reaction was predictable. But everything had to happen the way it has tonight. Your action with the knife, however was a surprise. Well done."

She was so startled by his praise she stopped moving for a beat, before quickly catching up again. "What are you talking about?"

"You weren't happy with how Godric treated you. Consequently you were going to do something impulsive, something to prove yourself. You always do." He held the door open for her. "Turenne was born sometime in the Eighteenth Century. He never really did get over his . . . Passion of the time."

"You . . . You dressed me up knowing it'd peak his interest?"

"Knowing," he corrected, "That you'd end up getting questioned by your own will, and he'd go easy on you. And of course I was right. His questions were entirely directed towards you."

He handed her back her gun. "Dr. Ludwig demands a questioning from her supernatural visitors to gauge their level of trust. Its understandable, with her dangerous clientel. And Godric and I couldn't well give away our secrets; though I'm sure her or her lackey would have been thrilled to have information to leverage against us."

The weight of the gun was a welcome reprieve, much better than the uneasy lightness of the knife. "And the knife?" She asked.

"Keeping you in character. Modern guns don't belong in the past." Eric said.

She bit her lip and looked at him from the corner of her eye. It made her uneasy, how well he knew her now. Yet she couldn't say the same about him. Without question she had followed his intention with her from the very beginning - and she hadn't even noticed.

"Godric is one thousand times better at me in nearly everything. But he doesn't temper well with humanity." He offerd a sly smile.

"He's learning." Her answer was careful. She didn't understand this sudden reversal in his personality. Never had he told her anything beyond a sliver of information she needed to survive.

"He's two-thousand years old." Eric answered.

"He wants to understand us."

"I took you as an idealist, but I see I've mixed that up with naïveté." He murmured.

"So what, he can never learn?" She bit out harshly.

Eric stopped right outside the final door that would lead them to the Goblins room. He held the handle and looked back at her, and for once she saw compassion in his eyes. Maybe it was for her, maybe it was for Godric. Maybe it was for the both of them. For whatever was between them was doomed from the beginning, like a rose trying to blossom in the desert. "I'm saying that he'll break you before you ever broke him."

"No. He won't." She answered resolutely; still, her last word faltered. She felt the ghost of his hand on her throat. Saw the cold wrath in his eyes.

Eric remained calm, not a hint of the usual impatience he had with her creeping into her voice. "He was taught that for something to survive, it must be broken first. Then reshapen to thrive in a cruel environment. He may believe he has evolved. But he's still a vampire who has survived two millennia."

Before she could answer he had swung the door open. And as he strode in to greet the Goblin she was frozen in the hallway, the breath having been pushed out of her by an invisible force. She swallowed thickly before trailing in after him. Was she hopelessly in over her head? Was it only her sheer naïveté, as he said, that was ensuring she spent time with Godric?

For the first time Eric had been calm with her, like he had acted with her before she had met Godric. After that he had turned colder, more impatient with her. She hadn't even realised it until she had been reminded of the contrast again. Had he been doing it for her? Had he been trying to teach her something in how cold he was acting towards her? What did he know about his maker that was entirely unaware of? Her stomach rolled with unease. But she pushed it down. Finding out what that ash was, was her main priority.

Eric and Dr. Ludwig had already launched into a conversation by the time she sat down into the close compacted room with books and various odd items she'd expect to find in an taxidermists office. The goblin eyed her up and down and snorted. "A human. Hmph." Was all she said before continuing her talk with Eric.

She didn't look like anything her imagination had allowed her to run off with. In fact she looked perfectly human. Except that she was indeed, very short. Then again, vampires could look very human to the untrained eye.

The first ash sample was slid across the table. Ludwig examined it for a moment, before looking up, unimpressed. "That's quite a bill you're racking up to show me some ash that was lit on fire by some human hicks with gasoline."

Eric made a noncommittal sound. "I figured. Its from a library. It's this, that holds much more interest for me."He took out the second ash sample. The book. He pushed it towards her.

Her eyes widened in fear as she recoiled. Her chair fell to the ground as she stood up. "Where in the hell did you get that?"

"From inside the supernatural library. Fourty-five minutes from here." Eric said.

"No. No." She lamented, shaking her head, "I won't have any part of this. You hear me? That's magic I'm not touching."

Eric stood up at the same time Winn did. "Tell us what it is." He demanded, crossing his arms tightly across his chest as he watched her pack up her bag with haste.

"Unholy is what that is. I can feel the power still in the bare bones of the ashes from here. How dare you bring blood magic into my presence." Her voice was shaking as she nearly ran out of the room. "Ancient power like that - you all can stay away."

Winn felt the thrill of fear go up her spine from Dr. Ludwigs terror alone. If some mystical goblin with supernatural clientele felt terrified, then she should too. She just didn't know why. And neither did Eric. He growled. "And that damned book can't tell us anything anymore either."

"So what do we do now?" Winn asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know. But its a threat to my area. Whatever the hell it is that's happening."

But Winn felt the disappointment too. She hadn't wanted to give away any information, but she had . . . And had it all been for nothing?

After swiping the ash off the table and shoving it back into his jacket, he began walking out the same door Ludwig had fled from, though he wasn't pursuing her. Outside he turned around sharply adjusting his leather jacket. "I need to get to Fangtasia. Check up on some things. Godric's still here. You're safe. For now." He said. Before she had time to speak he was gone.

Apprehension overwhelmed her. It shouldn't, but only a few hours prior she had been made acutely aware of another, darker side to him. She had seen it back at the Authority. But it had never been directed towards her.

Shoving her hands into her peasant pockets she began wandering around the apartment complex reluctantly. Jess had been frantically texting her while she was gone about some personal problems, and begging her to come meet her at Merlottes. But it would only be polite form to meet with Godric first, wouldn't it? Was she going to tell him about the freak-out about the ash? But if Eric had left him to go to his club, then the information probably wasn't life and death at this very moment. Later however . . .

* * *

 **GODRIC**

With utter determination he had stopped his pacing and ended up outside this alley that smelt of damp cement and the faint but putrid smell of garbage from the cans some distance away. Feeling her disgust and unease towards the goblins apprentice had him aching to get rid of the negative source of her emotions. None of them had needed to speak it, for they all knew of this interrogation technique. But Winn hadn't known the week long of all-consuming pain she would have been in had he dared cross the line of the pentagram. So he had left, shot up into the sky for a few minutes. Only when he felt her relief did he know that Turenne was finished. Goblins aged slow. And the day would come when he would rip Turenne limb from limb, if he believed that placing his Claiment through such a situation was consequence free.

Never had he responded so much on the emotional whims of anyone. A vampire was in control of his emotions. He had been taught that by his Master, and as Erics Maker, he had passed that on to him. And he knew Eric was passing that on to his own Progeny. But everything felt like it was being dictated by how Winn felt.

Somewhere he knew this was a long-delayed form of karmic justice. Even when he didn't focus on her, there was a constant undercurrent of anger, fear, despair, and heart-quenching sorrow that had her forming such an icy wall he couldn't penetrate it. No, it was more than karmic justice, it was punishment for him.

He had long wondered what the afterlife had in store for him - if such a concept existed. Now he knew there was, except this world was his living, breathing afterlife. It wasn't feeling like heaven, which would have surprised him, he supposed. After all he had done, hell was a more suitable destination for him.

But with the way she had sought his blood, he had been able to feel everything she did. And oh the olds gods knew, he had strained against every ounce of self-control he had, but in the end he had begun losing the battle as his hands had found her pliant body. The way her body had writhed on him as she had consumed his very life force . . . Gone was her guarded reservation with him to be replaced with desperate need. And how he was more than willing to cater to her needs.

Though he couldn't give her what he so desperately wanted . . . but he could give her what she so desperately sought: the craving to feel _strong_. The ability to stand against anywhere who tried to harm her. The ability not to jump at her own shadow and sudden sounds. She wanted to feel safe, and she wanted to feel that through a reliance on her own strength.

He breathed a laugh without amusement. What a beautiful irony. Millenia old, feared by most, the rest at the very least feeling intimidated. An arsenal of weapons, physical strength and mental cunning to make him outlast and win against anyone who dared defy him or usurp him. And it was all useless against this one human. Because he couldn't fight against trauma. He couldn't defend her family against an enemy who had already struck. But he could teach her how to _fight_.

With over two-thousand years of expierence he could teach her the art of deception, of manipulation, and utilising herself to become an extremely capable fighter. He could teach her how to utilise every weapon that humanity had invented with deadly precision. And gods, if she allowed it, the art of seduction.

Nimble fingers hesitantly gliding over his tunic, before slipping under; fire combined with ice. Her lids would become heavy as her eyes became laden with desire. Supple, pliant body would melt into him. He would explore every inch of her body, kiss every single freckle that marked her body like an explosion of constellations. Instead of the soft mewling and gentle cries of his name that escaped her lips sweeter than any blood he had tasted in the darkness of night when she slept, they would not be from forgettable dreams. And with those thoughts he almost pulled her towards him then. He would coax her into the state he wanted. Every scent he had come to love about her: her blood, her hair, her very scent would saturate the air and envelope him.

With that thought his gums ached as he struggled to keeping his fangs in place. She had once complained he never showed emotion and she couldn't possibly begin to understand his thoughts. He could never form the words to tell her that if he began showing her his true desires, he would never be able to stop. Men and women alike, both mortal and vampires, had fawned over him; some had even pledged their life. He never reciprocated their feelings, mostly due to utter apathy. And now the situation had reversed itself, with his mortal struggling to reciprocate affections.

Here he was claiming a human, here he was teaching her - albeit slowly - millennia of learned tricks to her that he had closely guarded to his chest; was allowing her to throw orders at him without repercussion . . . And did it all really matter when he had to act so very painfully neutral with her? He had a sharp suspicion in the beginning that she feared intimacy, that she feared vulnerability. But her emotions confirmed it for him. With her own terror reflected back at her, she would never take any confession he gave her as a truth. However, he had a silver tongue, and he could persuade her to trust him, to allow every part of her being to be his and his only.

But every time he opened his mouth to let the golden words flow from his tongue like honey he was himself unable to. It felt like it was a game of falsities, and he didn't want anything more than what was so very real.

Like she seemed to read his thoughts her eyes darted towards him, beautiful and radiant as the evergreens in winter encased in shadows. She began walking towards him. Rain fell from the sky. He caught her every movement, from the gentle sway of her hips to the subtle swinging of her arms. Her shoulders were pulled tight from stress; both from a prolonged stress and from an increasing anxiety that he was angry with her. But of course he wasn't angry with her, he never could be. Worried yes. And frustrated nearly always with her inability for self-preservation. But angry? Never. He ached to placed his hands on her soft skin and massage every muscle she had until she melted beneath him.

A drop of water splashed onto the tip of her delicate nose. Pressing her lips briefly together like she did every time she was nervous she looked up at him.

"You left." She stated. Of course she was waiting for him to elaborate, like she always did. He wanted to tell her everything he knew for all of eternity, but . . .

"Winn." He said, and as quickly as his lust had appeared it disappeared to be replaced with a deep shame. For a moment he saw himself dropping onto his knees, begging for forgiveness like humans often did. His own Son had done so on multiple occasions. Funny. He had never done such a thing let alone have it as a passing thought. "I pushed you too far tonight. Never should I have laid my hands on you like that." His eyes slid down to the ground, ashamed of himself, and the next words came out before he could stop them. "Sometimes I begin to remind myself so much of my own Master I fear I never escaped his hold after all. Time has not released me from these shackles."

Her eyes widened in shock at his sudden confession, before filling with compassion. Always brimming with endless compassion for others. He ached for how little she had for herself. She took a small step forwards, and she was within arms length for him to pull her close and-

"I do not expect you to forgive me." He interrupted his own thoughts. He full well meant it as well, as he meant every word he spoke to her. Eric had made it more than known through their bond he disagreed with his handling of her, though without intending too. Never had he seen Eric more torn between his loyalty then and there. As to why his Son had spent so long playing at apathy concerning Winn was something that was a troubling, growing thought. Insofar there had been no sign of disobedience from Eric. But the fact he had missed such a large key factor in Erics emotions meant he was missing out whatever he was playing at. That concerned him more. As soon as he could, Godric needed to find out what goal Eric was pursuing before he did something unforgivably rash in good intention. For now, his entire focus was on Winn.

A small crease appeared between her brows like it always did when she began thinking deeply. Winn's mind raced through multiple realisations and modes of analysis. Her sharp mind and humility to learn from her mistakes would make her an excellent vampire. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Why did you do it?"

It was his turn to take a small step forwards, closing the distance just a little more. He looked down at her. "Because I could never glamour you. I want you just as you are. But I am a selfish creature, as it turns out, and I ensared you with my own troubles. You know how fragile you are, but I do not think you know just how tough you truly are. No one has defied my orders with the stubbornness you possess; it frustrates me how careless you step out of the lines that are placed specifically for your safety. Although," he couldn't help the slow creep of a smile on his lips, "You are either one of the bravest or most reckless person I have had the pleasure of knowing."

There it was. The blush that seared her cheeks and made her mouth-watering scent bloom. "Or both." She answered, growing a little breathless at the close capacity she found herself in. But what he had done to her wasn't going to disappear any time soon, and she grew introspective.

A long silence crept between them as he saw her deep in her thoughts. Feeling her emotions, now growing duller as the time between her blood receival had lengthened, did not able him to become a mindreader. But he knew that apprehension she felt was entirely directed towards him.

Pressing her lips together her eyes flashed up towards him. She opened her mouth and then snapped it shut, cheeks growing heated with embarassement.

"Ask." He said gently.

She swallowed. "I want to touch you. But - . . . " She faltered.

"I won't move. I won't touch you." He supplemented quickly. He had stolen control for her. For her, in her fragile human state, he had stolen control. All he had set out to do, was let he know her place in the world, that he was there to protect her. But the vampire inside of him had been more than pleased with the way she had navigated the circumstances he had placed her early - which was a new phenomenon in and of itself to him; his instincts should have been furious at her tactic defiance.

There was another moment of hesitation as her eyes flickered over his face, waiting to catch a sardonic expression on his face, or something else inauthentic at his words. When she found none her shoulders lowered a fraction.

Raising her hand she seemed unsure of where to start. And so she began by allowing her fingers to brush against the border of his sweater and chest. Her fevered heat seeped through just through her lightest touch. Her touch remained light, gaining courage as her fingers traced over his skin. He kept his mouth shut. She would move at her own pace.

Her expression was curious, with the hint of determination that always seeped into her expression when she was trying to solve something. Occasionally her cheeks would flare up with a thought, and his lips parted, struggling to keep silent. He wanted to know why she was blushing - what thoughts did she have?

The rain kept its light downpour, darkening the alleyway further. No one was around for at least a mile. Her hair was plastered, framing her face and obscuring her neck. There was only a sliver of space between them. He couldn't help but focus on the sound of her pulse, hearing as it sped up a fraction. Between her hair he could just see the winding blue river filled with life. Her life. Her blood that smelled more enticing than anything he had ever encountered. It was the smell of -

His thoughts stopped in his tracks as her fingers slipped beneath the sweater and his eyes snapped back to her. Then she stopped as that same hesitation came back, but he knew what she wanted in before he could stop himself the sweater had been discarded at lightning speed. Winn controlling the situation was becoming all too enticing the longer she explored.

She blinked in surprise. But she stayed silent. Her palms splayed across his chest. One hand traced the tattoo lightly with her nails. Her head cocked slightly to the side, unconsciously exposing her neck. His thoughts ran away from him, kissing and nipping every exposed expanse of her neck. Biting through her flesh. It wouldn't hurt. He would ensure it. But he was broken out of his thoughts as her fingers had dipped just beneath his pants, right where his hips grew narrow.

"Winn." He hissed. She was testing his restraint now, torturing him with her touches that were innocent as the devil.

Her eyes flashed up now, looking at him through her long lashes. "Does this affect you so much?"

His voice had groan hoarser. "You affect me more than you know."

She didn't seem wholeheartedly convinced. And before he could stop himself he had stepped forwards so that she was pressed against him, her body aligning with his. If she didn't believe it now, then he would show her until her voice grew hoarse. He would show her until she lost herself in his touches. No. He couldn't touch her. Not more than he had already done, ruining his own promise of not touching her. His erection pressed against his abdomen, and it seemed to take her by surprise. And a part of him wanted to laugh, because how - how could she possibly not understand what she did to him. But she didn't move away from him.

"I'm sorry with what I said in there." She said, her voice softer. Her hand trailed upwards, up to his neck; her thumb ran across his jaw. If he had been human he would have had to strain to hear her over the rain.

"What?"

"About you to Turenne."

"That doesn't matter to me." He said quickly. He wasn't interested in talking about the goblin.

Her thumb ran across his lower lip. He let his fangs slip free, peaking out behind his lips.

It was three in the morning in an alleyway in an industrial district of the city. The chance for anyone to come through here and interrupt them was incredibly low. Still, he had to dispel the growl of frustration at the mere through of an interruption.

As she pulled back he had to placed his hands behind his back to keep them from shooting out and gripping her supple hips and pulled her close. He was already straining against his jeans, an obvious step in showing her how much she affected him. He wanted to flash over to a wall with her and pulled her atop of him, guide her to rock against him. Her face had grown flushed and her heartbeat had quickened, spurned on by her own desire. He was desperate to help her.

But she didn't pull back completely like he had expected. Instead she leaned forwards, and pressed a kiss to his tattoo. Soft, tentative. Then she placed another. And another. Running along his collarbones. Pressing another kiss she let her tongue flicker out, tasting him. And he had to look up at the sky and close his eyes. He needed to take a step back, or he was going to lose whatever control he had left; infinitely less than she presumed.

As she raised herself up onto the tips of her toes her hands rested on his shoulders to balance herself. Then she leaned in, and pressed her soft lips onto the corner of his mouth. Automatically his jaw tightened as he struggled with his self-control.

And a little voice whispered in the back of his mind was how could he feel so strongly, how could he so enthralled and so distracted? Too many kisses to count in his lifetime and not one of them had his unbeating heart racing like this little innocent kiss. She pulled back entirely too quickly for his liking and his fingers curled into a fist as he struggled not to frighten her with his touch. He had promised her he wouldn't move. He would spend eternity trying to salvage the trust he had broken between them just to see her look at him with trust again.

As she pulled back her gaze flickered to the warehouse, and he knew her mind was back to its usual multi-tasking. It was bittersweet. But a part of him was glad, because if she kept going the way she had. If she had pressed her lips against his neck. He would have turned into a liar about not moving.

"How did I do?" Her own voice had taken a slight huskiness hold to it.

"With the goblins apprentice?" He asked, and his next move was one of risk and unadulterated selfishness; the back of his hand brushed against the inside of her thigh, "Your knife trick - right here - was impressive."

While it hadn't appeared she had taken his lesson seriously back at the diner, she had full well been listening and absorbing his words. And she had used them phenomenally and subtly. She drew in a sharp breath but didn't distance herself from his touch.

He took that as acceptance and placed his hand more firmly on her right leg. "However, you placed the knife here," he said, caressing the inside of her thigh again, a little ways above her knee. His thumb began to wander upwards in a languid manner before sliding further inwards close to the juncture of her thighs. "This is where the femoral vein is."

While she was distracted he closed the distance, and as his lips move to brush against her ear his eyes slid shut as her scent overwhelmed him. If only she understood how little self-control he had in her presence, she would understand that it was her who held all the power.

"Next time you aim to slice your opponent, this is where you need to target." He rubbed his thumb back and forth. Her pants had become soaked in the rain and his movement was fluid. She shifted beneath him, bringing his hand closer up to her apex.

There was a long silence, and he felt each puff of shallow breath against his chest. Oh how he enjoyed the affect he was having on her, and how accepting she was. Perhaps . . . -

But she spoke again, finding her voice. This time she sounded breathless and surprised. "Next time?"

He breathed a laugh of amusement. With all the willpower he had left he removed his hand and pulled back. Her lips were wetted where she had run her own tongue over them and on instinct her eyes had grown hooded. Something twisted in his chest as he fought to capture those lips with his own; to hear breath hitch again; to feel the blood rushing to the surface as her body responded to him. "Perfection is reached with practice, _Sinni."_

Winn turned serious again, as she ran a hand through her soaked her to calm herself. "I'm trying to understand you and what being a vampire means, but Godric," and the way she said his name made him wince internally, "I can't do that again. If you do that to me again, then . . . Then I'm walking and I'll figure out everything on my own."

"I know." He said. The fierceness in his next words couldn't be dampened as they flowed out before he could stop them. "Do not feel ever ashamed of your truths. I was wrong, Winn. And just as you seek to understand me, I seek to understand you."

Her eyes wandered around as they always did when her discomfort at her own vulnerability shone through. Godric wished she wouldn't do that. He didn't just want to feel - no, need - to feel her emotions, he wanted to see her raw emotions on her face. He wanted her in every way. He would tell her that he would never hurt her. But he couldn't very well say that now, could he?

"I have to meet Jess now, she says its urgent," The bags under her eyes said she should cancel and sleep. But Winn never slept more than she needed to for more than most basic survival. "But when I get back, can we just, talk? You say we're trying to understand each other, and I'm . . . I'm trying so hard. But I can't do that when you won't talk to me."

If it would earn her trust back. Then he could tell her anything. They both understood words were dangerous and information could be lethal. He just wasn't sure how to make her understand that possession of information could be just as lethal to her. He nodded. "Very well."

And as she walked out of the alley to hail she glanced back at him. He hadn't moved. Then, biting her lip she turned the alley in search of a cab. A moment later he leapt up onto a rooftop of out sight. As soon as he saw her take a cab he would leave to go change. He hated these jeans.

* * *

 _A/N: If you're still into this story dropping a review makes all the difference in the world_


End file.
